French authorities are investigating fast fashion retailer Shein after the country’s consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), reported the company for allegedly selling “sex dolls with a childlike appearance” on its website.
According to French media reports, the DGCCRF stated that the dolls’ online descriptions and categorizations raise serious concerns about potential child pornography, making it “difficult to doubt the child pornography nature of the content.”
In a statement to the BBC, Shein said, “The products in question were immediately delisted as soon as we became aware of these serious issues.” The company added that it is “investigating how these listings circumvented our screening measures.”
Shein is also “conducting a comprehensive review to identify and remove any similar items that may be listed on our marketplace by other third-party vendors.”
French media outlets report that the DGCCRF has referred the matter to French prosecutors and Arcom, the nation’s online and broadcasting regulator.
This news surfaces just days before Shein is scheduled to inaugurate its first permanent brick-and-mortar store globally within a Parisian department store.
The decision to permit Shein’s presence at BHV Marais, a venerable shop in France’s capital with origins dating back to 1856, has sparked controversy, given the company’s history of criticism regarding its labor practices and environmental record.
Shein’s BHV store is slated to open on Wednesday, preceding the launch of other locations across France, all under the ownership of property firm Société des Grands Magasins.
Regarding the dolls sold on Shein’s platform, the French consumer watchdog emphasized that “the dissemination, via an electronic communications network, of child pornography is punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of €100,000 (£88,000).”
Shein affirmed that it “maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any content or products that violate our platform policies or applicable laws.”
A Shein spokesperson stated that the company is treating the matter “extremely seriously.”
“We are taking immediate corrective actions and reinforcing our internal controls to prevent this from happening again,” the spokesperson added.
Shein has faced millions of euros in fines in recent months.
In September, France’s data protection authority, the Commission Nationale de L’informatique et des Libertés, levied a €150m (£132m) penalty on Shein for allegedly failing to obtain user consent for “cookies” that collect data about website visitors.
Shein is contesting the fine, deeming it “wholly disproportionate” and “politically motivated.”
The Paris prosecutor says four suspects arrested so far are “clearly local people”, not organised crime professionals.
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