Shein said Monday it permanently banned “all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products,” pulled every related listing and image, and will tighten controls globally. The retailer also paused its adult products category “as a precaution” after France’s Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control said the items’ descriptions left “little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content.”
According to the DGCCRF press release, distributing such “pedopornographic nature” is punishable by up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine. The discovery comes just days before Shein is scheduled to open its first permanent store in Paris.
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What did regulators and ministers do?
In its release, the DGCCRF stated it had alerted the public prosecutor and the regulator ARCOM, and also filed a report with Shein that urged the platform “to implement appropriate measures promptly.” Separately, French Finance Minister Roland Lescure said in a TV interview that the items were illegal, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Lescure also warned, “If this behavior is repeated, we will be within our rights to request that Shein’s platform be banned from the French market.”
How did Shein respond?
In response, Shein issued a statement.
“While each seller is responsible for their own listings, SHEIN does not tolerate any breach of marketplace rules and policies,” the statement said.
The company also announced it had banned all sales of sex dolls and was temporarily removing other “adult products” pending a review.
Executive Chairman Donald Tang said, “These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers — but I take this personally,” and added, “the fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable.”
A company spokesman told French radio, “What happened is serious and unacceptable. We’ll cooperate 100% with legal authorities,” Bloomberg reported.
What enforcement steps followed?
Bloomberg reported that the enforcement actions have widened. The Paris prosecutor’s office referred four platforms — Shein, AliExpress, Temu and Wish — to the national police’s child protection agency, citing the alleged availability of sexual and violent content to minors. According to the report, Shein and AliExpress face an additional probe for allegedly disseminating pornographic images with a childlike appearance.
According to Reuters, Shein said it had imposed “strict sanctions” on the third-party merchants involved and was expanding its keyword blacklist to prevent sellers from circumventing the new rules.
What’s the wider fallout in France?
The Wall Street Journal reported the scandal has created fallout for Shein’s planned store opening at the BHV Marais department store, leading to protests and causing other brands to pull their products from the retailer.
SGM, BHV’s operator, condemned the “doll controversy” but said the launch would proceed. SGM pledged that only items produced directly by Shein would be sold, ensuring compliance with French and EU regulations.
