Over the past few days, screenshots and video clips from the platform have been shared on channels such as Tiktok, Instagram, Reddit and X. Users have highlighted advertisements offering used toys and plush animals for amounts between 10,000 and 50,000 Swedish krona.
What has caused reactions is the product descriptions, which in some cases contained specifications about gender, age and phrases such as "Girl. 86 cm. Innocence" or characteristics such as "small" and "healthy". This has been reported by, among others, Helagotland, and has led to theories on social media that the platform is being used for human trafficking of children.
French authorities have confirmed that a preliminary investigation has been launched. The case has been referred to Pharos, the national center for reporting illegal content on the internet, to investigate the background of the advertisements, reports the industry publication FashionUnited. According to previous reports, German authorities are also investigating the situation.
Vinted Rejects Allegations
Vinted has conducted an internal review of the current advertisements and states that they have not found any links to illegal activities. In a statement, the Lithuanian company explains that the situation is due to the way the platform's technical structure is built:
We are aware of the ongoing rumors about these advertisements and want to share the facts. After a thorough investigation, we have not found any evidence linking them to any criminal activity. The rumors are based on a misunderstanding of how our platform works.
The age displayed on these advertisements refers to the age group the toy is intended for – similar to the age marking on a toy package – not a child. This field is used across all our categories, not just clothing.
If you see an advertisement that genuinely worries you, please report it so that our security team can review it. Thank you for helping us keep Vinted safe.
The company believes that the advertisements may rather involve attempted fraud, jokes or deliberate attempts to create attention. Like other large marketplaces, Vinted uses a combination of automated filters and user reporting to moderate content, but the effectiveness of the system is now being questioned by critics online who are calling for stricter pre-screening.
The event occurs during a period of growth for Vinted. The company was recently valued at 8 billion euros after a secondary share sale of 880 million euros, and has recently expanded into new markets such as Australia. This is also not the first time an e-commerce platform has been hit by this type of rumor; in 2020, the home furnishings company Wayfair was accused of a similar setup, which proved unfounded after investigation.
Previous Challenges With Product Control
Vinted has also previously faced criticism regarding the handling of content on the platform, including regarding users who have received inappropriate messages or been redirected to external websites via advertisement links.
Ehandel.se has also previously reported on challenges with the platform's product control. On June 16, it was noted that clothing from fast fashion and dropshipping players such as Shein and Temu is widely sold on the platform under the false flag of "vintage", which violates the company's terms of use. The current case has once again raised the discussion about how well the platform's review processes and AI tools actually work to filter out incorrect or inappropriate content.