France begins suspension of Shein website due to sex doll scandal

BarcelonaThe French government has temporarily suspended the Chinese e-commerce platform Shein in the country until it demonstrates that "all its content complies with current laws and regulations." The decision was made following a scandal sparked by the platform's launch. from an advertisement by the company where hyper-realistic dolls that looked like little girls were being sold as sex toys.

"On the instructions of the Prime Minister [Sébastien Lecornu], the government is temporarily suspending Shein so that the platform can demonstrate to the authorities that all its content complies with current laws and regulations," the office of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Roland Lescure, said in a statement.

The company says it has temporarily suspended all sales made by third-party sellers. marketplace In France, "after detecting concerns related to products offered by independent sellers." This measure will allow them to "conduct a thorough review to ensure full compliance with French legislation and the highest consumer protection standards."

They also reaffirm their commitment to "collaborating with French authorities to address any concerns as quickly as possible." And they note that Shein "had already decided and announced the temporary suspension of products offered by third-party sellers." marketplacewhile reviewing and strengthening how these sellers operate on its platform."

Although the doll was clothed in the now-removed advertisement's photograph, the product description left no room for doubt: "Ideal doll for lonely men" and "male masturbation toy with body, read." The discovery has sparked outrage in France—where the law prohibits the sale of pedophilic sex toys—and the government has threatened Shein with a ban on the online platform in France.

Opening of a store in Paris

The suspension coincides precisely with the opening day of Shein's first physical store in the world, located in a BHV department store in central Paris. This will be followed by five more stores in the cities of Dijon, Grenoble, Reims, Limoges, and Angers. The decision by the Chinese brand... fast fashion The decision to open a physical store in the French capital was poorly received by both the public and a segment of the country's important fashion industry, who see it as a competitor that does not play by the same rules.

In fact, coinciding with the opening of the new store, a group of protesters demonstrated this Wednesday in front of the BHV department store against the arrival of Shein, which they accuse of destroying the French fashion sector, using environmentally harmful manufacturing systems, and employing exploited labor from persecuted ethnic minorities. With the outbreak of the doll scandal, the protesters have added a new grievance to the list of grievances against the multinational.

Amid this cold welcome, this September, the French government had already fined the Chinese company €150 million for not respecting the consent of French users of its platform regarding the use of cookies. Furthermore, the government led by Emmanuel Macron is considering passing a new law designed to hinder the establishment of ultra-fast fashion companies like Shein or its direct competitor, the also Chinese Temu, which would require these companies to pay a surcharge for products with a high environmental cost and would prohibit them from carrying out any type of advertising.influencerswho could be sanctioned if they promote these brands.