France calls for Shein suspension over childlike sex dolls
The French government wants to suspend Chinese e-commerce giant Shein for three months, seeking an order to do so from a Paris judge on November 26th, over the sale of sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons, according to a Reuters report.
Shein allows third parties to sell their products on its site, which led the government to find these controversial items online and take action to suspend the company. The company has since disabled the third-party marketplace on its site, but continues to sell its own clothes on the website and app.
However, the French government wants to push for an extraordinary judicial procedure that would allow it to suspend Shein for three months, as a warning to pay better attention to its marketplace.Â
France has also previously taken action against other online retailers such as AliExpress and Joom for selling childlike sex dolls. Authorities also found that Wish, Temu, and Amazon had displayed adult content to underage shoppers.
France is pushing for the European Union to launch a formal investigation into Shein over its sale of such products. As Shein operates in Europe under a Dublin-based company, Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd, they will be summoned for the judicial procedure as well. In EU law, online marketplaces and retailers are not directly held responsible for products sold by third parties, but have the responsibility of removing them.
Shein has also been targeted by other European regulators. In August 2025, Shein was fined about €1 million in Italy for “misleading or omissive” environmental claims about its products.
As sustainability in clothes and fashion becomes more mainstream, retail giants like Shein are being held responsible for their environmental sustainability and social responsibility as well. Shein has been repeatedly under fire for its fast fashion and contribution to “plastic pollution”.Â
A ruling on Shein’s possible suspension in France is expected in the weeks ahead.
Reuters, The Guardian, Maghrebi.org
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