EU Tech Commissioner meets French ministers over Shein 'sex doll' uproar

Published connected 06/11/2025 - 14:17 GMT+1 •Updated 16:23

EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen will meet French ministers connected Thursday aft French authorities urged nan Commission to analyse and punishment e-commerce elephantine Shein for allowing "a childlike activity doll' to beryllium sold connected nan platform.

“Today's [discussion] will provender nan imaginable adjacent steps from nan EU side,” Thomas Regnier, nan Commission spokesperson for integer affairs, told journalists. Shein was founded successful China but is now headquartered successful Singapore.

French authorities are demanding swift action astatine a European level connected nan ground that nan contented sold connected nan website is disposable to bargain crossed nan azygous market, not conscionable France. In addition, nan childlike features of nan doll person sparked nationalist uproar astir nan deficiency of standards controls for websites which could beryllium utilized by criminals and podophiles.

“Given nan systemic risks posed by specified behaviour and nan morganatic concerns it raises among European citizens, nan European Union must present patient responses to immoderate failings aliases breaches that whitethorn beryllium identified arsenic a consequence of specified an investigation,” they wrote.

EU spokesperson Regnier said nan Commission “takes notes” of nan decisions successful France.

“They are based connected French nationalist law, but it adds to concerns we person already expressed to Shein,” Regnier said.

“A level that is allowing pornographic contented aliases nan trading of weapons, does not meet EU standards,” he added.

France said connected Wednesday that it is suspending entree to Shein’s online level until nan institution proves that its contented meets French rule standards.

Jean-Noël Barrot, French overseas affairs minister, said: "The Commission has launched definite investigations, and it must now backmost them up pinch sanctions.”

Online level rules successful nan spotlight

Under EU rules – nan Digital Services Act (DSA), which became applicable successful afloat past twelvemonth – online platforms must return down forbidden contented and products.

Last May, nan Commission recovered that Shein, known for its ultralow prices, engages successful forbidden commercialized practices pursuing an investigation carried retired alongside nationalist user protection authorities. That probe is still ongoing.

If nan Commission sees nary progress, nan institution could look multimillion euro fines.

In addition, nan EU executive sent abstracted requests for accusation connected forbidden equipment circulating connected nan level specified arsenic weapons.

Shein disputes nan allegations.

The institution said earlier this week that it has banned each sex-doll products and temporarily removed its big products class for a review. The institution has besides launched an investigation to find really nan listings bypassed its screening measures.

Earlier this week, a group 40 members of nan European Parliament representing a cross-party level from nan Greens to nan centre-right EPP, besides sent a letter to nan Commission asking to unfastened an investigation astir akin activity dolls. The missive cited sites specified arsenic AliExpress and Temu, signalling a broader problem pinch China-founded online companies.

The French telephone for enforcement action came aft Shein opened its first beingness shop successful Paris on Wednesday, which drew ample crowds of shoppers arsenic good arsenic protesters.