France’s consumer watchdog has reported the Asian fast fashion giant Shein to authorities for selling “sex dolls with a childlike appearance” on its website.
The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) stated that the online description and categorization of these dolls made it difficult to dispute their connection to child pornography.
Shein has responded by confirming that the products in question were “immediately delisted” upon discovery and that the company is investigating how these listings bypassed their security measures. They are also conducting a broad review to identify and remove any similar items sold by third-party vendors on their platform.
The DGCCRF has referred the matter to French prosecutors and the national online regulator, Arcom. This development comes just days before Shein is scheduled to launch its first permanent physical store globally, located in a Parisian department store.