BRUSSELS, April 26 (Reuters) - The European Union

designated Chinese-founded fast-fashion company Shein as a very

large online platform (VLOP) after it reported a huge number of

users, the EU said in a statement on Friday.

Companies with more than 45 million users are regarded as

VLOPs under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), facing stricter

rules on online content that require them to do more to fight

illegal and harmful content as well as counterfeit products on

their platforms.

The online retailer said it was committed to comply with the

rules.

"We share the Commission's ambition to ensure consumers in

the EU can shop online with peace of mind, and we are committed

to playing our part," Leonard Lin, Shein's global head of public

affairs, said in a statement.

Shein, which is eyeing a U.S. initial public offering,

launched its marketplace in the EU in August last year.

The DSA applies to all online platforms since Feb. 17.

Sixteen tech firms, including Amazon.com ( AMZN ), Apple ( AAPL )

, Alibaba ( BABA ), Microsoft ( MSFT ) and three

pornography sites, are subject to the DSA, with the bloc asking

some for information on steps taken to counter illegal content

and goods sold online.

The EU is already investigating social media platform X and

ByteDance's TikTok. Violations can result in fines of as much as

6% of a company's global turnover.