Paris (AFP) – France’s finance minister threatened Monday to ban Shein from the country if the Asian e-commerce giant resumes selling “childlike” sex dolls, just days before it opens its first physical store in Paris. The warning followed France’s anti-fraud unit on Saturday reporting that the company was selling dolls of a likely “child pornography nature.” On its website, the Le Parisien daily published a photo of one of the dolls sold on the platform, accompanied by an explicitly sexual caption. It measured around 80 centimetres (30 inches) in height and held a teddy bear.
Shortly after the fraud watchdog’s statement, Shein announced that the dolls had been withdrawn from its platform and that it had launched an internal inquiry. Finance Minister Roland Lescure warned Monday he would move to ban the company from the French market if the items returned online. “These horrible items are illegal,” he told the BFMTV broadcaster, promising a judicial investigation.
Shein is due on Wednesday to open its first physical store in the world inside the prestigious BHV Marais department store in central Paris, a move that has sparked outrage in France. The Singapore-based company, which was originally founded in China, has faced criticism over working conditions at its factories and the environmental impact of its ultra-fast fashion business model. Some brands have pulled their products from BHV Marais since the announcement.
France has already fined Shein three times in 2025 for a total of 191 million euros ($220 million). Those sanctions were imposed for failing to comply with online cookie legislation, false advertising, misleading information, and not declaring the presence of plastic microfibres in its products. The European Commission is also investigating Shein over risks linked to illegal products, while EU lawmakers have approved legislation aimed at curbing the environmental impact of fast fashion.
© 2024 AFP
