Overview

• 25 European consumer associations lodged a complaint with the European Commission and national authorities on June 5, accusing Shein of “litigious practices” such as endless product listings and false low-stock alerts.
• The European Commission opened an investigation in May into Shein’s use of dark patterns—countdown timers, urgency messages and repeated promotions—to mislead shoppers and has threatened monetary fines.
• Shein says it is collaborating with EU consumer protection agencies and national regulators to demonstrate compliance with European laws and improve inventory transparency.
• On June 10, the French Senate will vote on a bill to ban advertising for low-cost disposable fashion, impose financial penalties and require brands to disclose environmental impacts.
• EU officials are considering a €2 fee on each small parcel entering from outside the bloc—predominantly from China—to stem the influx of low-value fast-fashion shipments.