Overview
- Paris prosecutors are investigating Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish for disseminating violent or pornographic content accessible to minors, with Shein and AliExpress also probed for possible pornographic representations of minors.
- France’s consumer watchdog DGCCRF triggered the case after flagging listings it judged to have a childlike appearance, including an 80-centimetre doll shown with a teddy bear and an explicit caption.
- Shein removed the products, imposed a global ban on sex‑doll‑type items, suspended its adult products category, sanctioned implicated sellers and launched an internal task force and review.
- Finance Minister Roland Lescure warned that access to the French market could be blocked if such products reappear, and authorities have involved Arcom and the National Office for Minors.
- The dispute is unfolding as Shein prepares to open a store inside Paris’s BHV Marais, prompting protests, while BHV’s owner said the tie‑up would continue after Shein pledged cooperation.