Vinted, the popular second-hand clothing platform, is currently under investigation in France following reports that certain user accounts were redirecting visitors to pornographic content.
Sarah El-Haïry, France’s Children’s Rights Commissioner, has requested that media regulator Arcom examine the allegations, which were initially reported in the French press.
With 23 million users in France, Vinted lacks a formal age-verification system, raising concerns that children and teenagers could have been exposed to explicit material without demonstrating proof of being over 18.
In a released statement, the Lithuania-based company asserted a “zero-tolerance policy regarding unsolicited communications of a sexual nature or the promotion of sexual services”.
The AFP news agency quoted the company as saying, “All inappropriate and illegal content is removed, and where necessary we take measures against users, including blocking them definitively from our site.”
Vinted has conveyed that it is treating the situation “very seriously”.
The issue came to light after it was discovered that some sellers displaying images of swimwear or lingerie were directing viewers to personal pages on adult platforms, such as OnlyFans.
“Predators have been using the sale of ordinary items of clothing to direct people to porn sites,” stated El-Haïry.
France has recently issued cautions to other international e-commerce platforms, including Shein, headquartered in Singapore, after products like childlike sex dolls appeared in their marketing listings.
French officials indicate that the case against Shein is part of a broader investigation into other major e-commerce platforms accused of facilitating the sale of illicit products online.
Prosecutors in Paris are examining whether Shein, AliExpress, Temu, and Wish have violated laws concerning violent, pornographic, or “undignified” content accessible to minors.
Shein and AliExpress are facing specific scrutiny over the alleged dissemination of child-related pornographic material. These cases have been referred to the Paris Office des Mineurs, the department responsible for offenses related to child protection.
Shein has already banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform globally and reports it is permanently blocking seller accounts linked to these items.
The French consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, stated that descriptions of the dolls left “little doubt as to their child-pornography nature”.