Overview
- Paris prosecutors launched investigations into Shein and three other marketplaces—AliExpress, Temu and Wish—over pornographic or degrading content accessible to minors, following a DGCCRF referral.
- Shein says it removed the listings, suspended linked seller accounts, deindexed its adult-products category, and enacted a worldwide ban on sex-doll products while opening an internal review.
- Economy minister Roland Lescure said he will seek to block Shein’s access to France if similar items reappear, citing laws that require 24-hour takedowns and allow site blocking for clearly illegal content.
- Investigators plan to trace distribution chains, manufacturers and purchasers, and Shein stated it will fully cooperate with authorities during the ongoing probes.
- The controversy has triggered protests at BHV Marais ahead of Shein’s Nov. 5 store launch, with some partner brands pulling products and the retailer facing renewed scrutiny over its marketplace governance and past French fines totaling €191 million this year.