French Economy Minister Roland Lescure
Days before the opening of the first physical store, the French minister threatened to ban the fashion giant: “these horrible products are illegal”.
E-commerce giant Shein is in trouble. The French Economy Minister, Roland Lescurethreatened to suspend Shein sales in France after an official investigation revealed that the Chinese fast-fashion platform was selling “sex dolls with childish appearance”.
“These horrible products are illegal,” declared Lescure, stressing that the government has the right to prevent access to the French market in cases of terrorism, drug trafficking or child pornography.
The French newspaper published a photo of one of the dolls sold on the platform. The doll in the photo was about 80 cm tall and was holding a teddy bear.
/doll:
I must have a problem but personally I don’t see anything sexual in this doll as for those who would see something inciting in it I invite them to consult urgently, economic war does not justify everything but can explain it— Bleu comme Lenfer (@BleuKomLenfer)
The very direct denunciation of the French government takes place days before the opening of the Shein’s first physical store in Paris.
The General Directorate for Competition, Consumption and Fraud Suppression (DGCCRF) stated that it found, on the Shein website, articles whose description and categorization “leave little doubt as to their pedopornographic nature”, reads a statement from the French Ministry.
Meanwhile, Lescure announced that it had filed a formal complaint and asked French digital authority Arcom — which oversees large platforms under the EU’s Digital Services Act — to investigate the case.
The High Commissioner for Youth, Sarah El-Haïry, also informed that she will convene the main online platforms to find out how products of this type reach the market. Similar cases have already led, in 2021, to the temporary shutdown of the Wish website in France, recalls the newspaper.
Shein begins to ban sale of sex dolls
A Shein has already spoken on the subject.
“We will fully cooperate with the judicial authorities,” Shein spokesperson in France, Quentin Ruffat, told RMC radio, quoted by , adding that the company was prepared to release the names of those who purchased these dolls.
“We will be completely transparent with the authorities. If they ask us, we will comply,” he said.
In a statement, the company also stated that it was imposing a “total ban on sex doll-type products” and that it had deleted all advertisements and images related to them. A spokesperson told news agency Agence France-Presse that the ban applied globally.
Shein’s executive director, Donald Tang, said that the products seen on the website and in question here “came from external suppliers, but I take personal responsibility”.
