French Finance Minister Roland Lescure has issued a firm warning, stating that China-based e-commerce giant Shein could be banned from the French market after being accused of selling “sex dolls with a childlike appearance.”
According to CNN affiliate BFMTV, the controversial dolls appeared on Shein’s French platform until Monday morning, triggering swift and intense backlash from authorities.
France’s consumer protection agency, the DGCCRF, publicly accused Shein of listing the items in a manner that left “little doubt about the pedopornographic nature of the content.”
Speaking to BFMTV, Minister Lescure delivered an unequivocal message: “If these behaviors are repeated, we will be within our rights to block Shein’s access to the French market. These horrible items are illegal.”
Shein responded by confirming that all flagged products had been immediately removed.
Company spokesperson Quentin Ruffat said, “We take this situation extremely seriously. This type of content is completely unacceptable and goes against everything we stand for.” He added that the company is implementing corrective measures and strengthening internal controls.
French authorities have escalated the case, handing it over to prosecutors and the country’s telecom regulator. The DGCCRF noted that under French law, distributing pedophilic material via electronic networks carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine. The sale of the dolls also indicates that Shein may lack adequate safeguards to prevent minors from accessing pornographic content—another legal violation.
The controversy could not come at a more inconvenient time for Shein, which is set to open its first physical store in Paris on Wednesday, the beginning of its planned expansion across France.
France’s High Commissioner for Childhood, Sarah El-Haïry, has called for authorities to identify both the sellers and buyers of the dolls. This incident echoes a similar scandal in 2018 involving Amazon and third-party vendors.
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