Vinted said it removed listings it suspected were linked to looting during France’s Oct. 17 unrest, as French officials planned a meeting to assess business damage and separately invited online marketplaces to meet with Interior and Justice ministry officials.
Bloomberg reported an influx of listings suspected of containing looted goods on the secondhand marketplace. The report did not quantify the increase, and Vinted has not published a count of listings identified or removed.
Vinted said it expanded reviews of listings its teams considered suspicious and was coordinating with police and French government agencies. The company said users who violate its rules may be permanently banned. Its Catalog Rules prohibit selling stolen items, and a spokesperson told Reuters the ban also covers soliciting stolen goods.
The unrest accompanied demonstrations over living costs and school conditions. The Associated Press reported that hundreds of thousands of people marched peacefully. Authorities reported thousands of businesses damaged or looted and about 2,400 arrests over the weekend, the AP said. EconoTimes previously reported that investigators were examining suspected theft and looting linked to protests across France.
The French Economy Ministry said Small Businesses Minister Serge Papin was scheduled to meet retailers, trade groups, artisans, restaurateurs, banks and insurers on Oct. 19. The meeting was planned to assess physical damage and economic effects and consider support for affected businesses.
Reuters reported that government officials also invited Vinted, Amazon, eBay and TikTok to meet that day with officials from France’s Interior and Justice ministries.
