Chinese company Shein, which primarily sells its products online to a young audience abroad, is embroiled in controversy over the sale of child-like sex dolls and weapons on its platform. This is another blow to its image, adding to criticism of its "fast fashion" model.
French authorities launched an investigation after the discovery of child sex dolls on the Shein website. Shein stated that it removed the implicated products, permanently banned the sale of sex dolls, and suspended its adult items category, while offering to provide the names of buyers if requested.
The French government initiated proceedings on Wednesday to temporarily suspend the Shein website in France until the platform demonstrates that its online content complies with the law, amid a judicial investigation into its sale of child sex dolls and weapons, and on the same day it opened its first physical store in Paris.
"On the instructions of the Prime Minister (Sébastien Lecornu), the government is initiating the procedure for the temporary suspension of Shein so that the platform can demonstrate to the authorities that all its content complies with current laws and regulations," the Executive reported, which will analyze the situation "within 48 hours," according to a brief press release.
Concurrently, the Minister of the Interior, Laurent Nuñez, filed a lawsuit to block the Shein website, as announced by the Ministry of the Economy, which confirmed that if, within a 48-hour period, "prohibited products continue to be for sale on the Shein website, a digital order to request can be issued," which will allow the government "to demand the suspension of the website."
An inauguration surrounded by controversy The French government's decision came two hours after Shein opened its first physical store in Paris, two steps from Notre-Dame Cathedral.
The Asian giant's store, located on the sixth floor of the iconic BHV department stores, opened its doors on Wednesday at 13:00 local time in a 1,200-square-meter space, attended by hundreds of potential customers and hundreds of citizens opposed to Shein, who accuse it of unfair competition, disrespect for the environment, and labor rights.
France does not suspend Shein for now and will open procedures against other online platforms This Friday, the French government decided not to suspend access to Shein in the country after confirming that it no longer offers illegal products on its website, although it will keep the Chinese e-commerce giant under "strict surveillance," while launching procedures against other platforms.
The Executive of Sébastián Lecornu, which will make a new assessment next week, made this decision as the 48-hour deadline given last Wednesday to Shein to comply with French and European regulations expired, following the scandal caused by the discovery that child sex dolls and bladed weapons (machetes or steel knuckles) were being sold on its platform.
Despite avoiding suspension for now, "legal proceedings against Shein continue," declared the French government in a press release, in which it also indicated that it will initiate "new procedures in the coming days" against other e-commerce platforms where the sale of illegal products has been observed, but did not identify them.
