Shein's childlike sex dolls: French bid to ban illicit trade rejected by court

French consumer regulator found five other platforms — AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Joom, and Temu — were also selling illicit goods

Shein was already controversial for its 'fast fashion' offering, but its marketing of childlike sex dolls was the subject of a legal action taken by the French government. File picture: PA

The French government has said it will appeal a Paris court ruling on Friday that rejected a three-month suspension of Shein, as it attempts to crack down on the Chinese online platform after uproar over childlike sex dolls sold on its marketplace.

A Paris court ordered Shein to implement age verification measures for any adult products sold via its French website and set a €10,000 fine for any breach.

Friday's ruling comes as authorities try to force Shein to tighten oversight of products sold by third parties on its site.

However, the court rejected the French government's request to suspend Shein's website as a whole for three months, saying that would be "disproportionate".

The French government said it would appeal the ruling in the coming days "at the request of the prime minister", adding it is convinced of the "systematic risk" linked to Shein's model.

Childlike sex dolls on Shein

Shein has been embroiled in a scandal since France's consumer watchdog DGCCRF found sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons for sale on its marketplace, prompting the government attempt to suspend the platform.

A spokesperson for Shein said it welcomed the ruling.

"We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry, and we have been intensifying these efforts," the spokesperson said, adding:

Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.

Shein declined to comment on the French government's decision to appeal.

Shein could now reinstate its marketplace in France, which it suspended last month after the DGCCRF findings. Its site selling Shein-branded clothes has been accessible throughout.

Age verification

The Court of Paris said Shein must implement measures to verify age — more than a simple declaration — to prevent "sexual products that may constitute pornographic content" from being accessed by minors.

The French government began proceedings to suspend Shein on November 5, less than two hours after the opening of its first ever physical store in the BHV department store in Paris.

The court said in a statement that Shein had removed the products rapidly, and that a systematic lack of controls, oversight or regulation had not been proven.

Child protection group's comment

However, Christine Cerrada, a lawyer and legal adviser for French child protection group L'Enfance au Coeur, said the French court's actions were "clearly insufficient". Following the ruling she said: 

From a legal standpoint, it is well known that age‑verification measures are extremely difficult to implement. 

Shein banned all sex dolls and suspended the adult products category from its marketplace globally on November 3 after the consumer watchdog's findings. It could decide to keep this in place, thus avoiding the question of age verification.

Shein, which is privately owned but aims to go public in Hong Kong after failed attempts in New York and London, had global revenues of $37bn (€31.6bn)  in 2024, the most recent filing of parent company Roadget Business Pte Ltd in Singapore shows.

Shein has been embroiled in a scandal since France's consumer watchdog found illicit products including sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons for sale on its marketplace. Stock picture: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/Bloomberg

France's consumer regulator also said last month it had found five other platforms — AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Joom, and Temu — that sold illicit products in France. But none of those suspended their marketplaces, and the French government has not targeted them to the same extent as Shein.

'Crusade against Shein'

In a hearing earlier this month, lawyers for Shein said it is facing discriminatory treatment and there was a "crusade" against it by politicians and the media.

France has in recent weeks pushed European authorities to crack down on Shein as well, calling for a formal investigation under the EU law governing online platforms.

The European Commission requested further information from Shein on illegal products but did not open an investigation.

France's crackdown is also about competition, with retailers saying Shein's rock-bottom prices and rapid growth are enabled by a customs duty loophole.

The EU last week agreed on a €3 fee on low-value ecommerce parcels that were previously entering the bloc duty-free, following in the footsteps of the United States in removing the "de minimis" provision.

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