Alibaba uses big data to crack down on fake products

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is using big data to protect intellectual property rights and crack down on counterfeit products.

Each deal and fake product seller can be tracked on e-commerce platforms and the Internet can be a powerful tool to fight the making and sale of counterfeit goods, said Alibaba's chief risk officer Shao Xiaofeng at a seminar on Tuesday.

In the first three quarters, about 90 million problematic commodities were removed from shelves on Alibaba's platforms. About 90 percent of them were found to have IPR infringements, found with the help of the group's big data system and further inspections.

Alibaba has 2,000 special personnel working to crack down on counterfeit products and protecting the rights of buyers as well as some 5,000 volunteers nationwide.

From January 2013 to November 2014, Alibaba poured more than one billion yuan (163 million U.S. dollars) into guaranteeing consumers' rights and handling fake goods,the company said.

Some of China's e-commerce websites were recently found selling fakes in spot checks carried out by China's quality authorities.