Shein continues to be in the spotlight of the French Government after the controversy over the sale of child-like sex dolls on its platform. Despite the fact that the Asian giant quickly removed these products from its catalog, the French authorities maintain an open investigationnot only to the company for what they consider a serious infraction, but also to the buyers of these dolls.
“We take this matter very seriously”They insisted from Shein this Tuesday to EL PERIÓDICO. The brand confirms that has permanently banned “all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex doll products” and has opened an investigation to find out “how these ads evaded the platform’s control measures.” The French organization of consumer protection expressed concern this weekend for the description and classification of the dolls, stating that it left “little doubt about the nature of child pornography of the content”.
As the company works to find out how these sellers have been able to bypass the security filter, Shein will strengthen “its keyword blacklist to further prevent sellers’ attempts to circumvent product listing restrictions,” the statement issued reads.
Shein in the political spotlight
The arrival of Shein’s physical store in the country of fashion has raised significant eyebrows. Beyond the regular customers, few are those who welcome the installation of their first store in the BHMV warehouses on the central Parisian street of Rivoli.
“Allowing Shein to grow means allowing a plastic clothing modelmade in Asia in inhumane working and salary conditionsand then imported on cargo planes and used very little. As a result, these garments end up in landfills gigantic and uncontrolled in Africa”denounced the deputies of the Parisian Green Party in an opinion article published in Liberation.
Not only them, but also the minister of labor was reluctant to install this new boutique. “We are facing a case of ‘dumping’, that is, they attack us with exports at very low prices,” he criticized, insisting that the entire textile industry is threatened, including small merchants.
The only one who sees something positive in the arrival of Shein to France is the director of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM) and owner of BHV Paris, who expects the arrival “of many people” to the inauguration of the Asian giant’s first physical store that will take place this November 5. “I think it will work, and if not, I will leave it. We need to give it time,” he insisted and defended himself by pointing to other similar models already existing in France, such as Primark.
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