The Fair Trade Commission has initiated formal proceedings to penalize AliExpress, a Chinese e-commerce giant, for suspected breaches of e-commerce regulations. As per industry insiders, the FTC has issued a review report proposing sanctions against AliExpress for its failure to report fundamental business details to the government, contravening the Act on the Consumer Protection in E-Commerce. Although AliExpress registered its Korean subsidiary with the Seoul city government in September 2023, the FTC contends that the actual operations and management still reside within AliExpress' headquarters in Hong Kong. The FTC is anticipated to convene and decide on imposing penalties following an official response from AliExpress. Additionally, the watchdog is also investigating potential violations by other Chinese e-commerce platforms, Temu and Shein, and is closely examining consumer privacy breaches, including concerns about data sharing with third parties and deceptive online promotions. In response to the allegations, an AliExpress official stated that they respect the Korean government and industry and are committed to adhering strictly to Korean regulations and laws. The company emphasized its willingness to maintain communication with regulatory agencies and relevant government departments. The FTC's scrutiny extends to potential privacy infringements and deceptive online promotions by e-commerce platforms, with concerns about the potential overseas exposure of consumer information in Korea. Both AliExpress and Temu have provisions allowing the sharing of user data with third parties, prompting apprehensions about data protection in the Korean market.