French court rejects state’s request to suspend Shein over the sale of illegal products
A French court rejected the state’s request to suspend online retailer Shein for three months over the sale of childlike sex dolls and banned weapons, calling the bid "disproportionate."
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A French court rejected the state’s request to suspend online retailer Shein for three months over the sale of childlike sex dolls and banned weapons, calling the bid "disproportionate."
The court argued that the sale of the illicit products had been "sporadic,” and that Shein had quickly removed the listings. It added that a systematic violation of regulations and a lack of controls had not been established – meaning that the sales of those items were isolated incidents.
"Only certain products on the marketplace were identified in these proceedings as manifestly illegal and harmful, while the [Shein] platform offers several hundred thousand items for sale," the court said, according to Deutsche Welle.
However, it did order Shein to implement age verification measures for the sale of adult products, with a fine for each breach set at €10,000 ($11,711).
In response, Shein said: “We remain determined to continuously improve our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry,” a company spokesperson said following the ruling.
“Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations.”
According to Reuters, the French government said it would appeal a Paris court ruling.
In early November 2025, the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) discovered childlike sex dolls and banned weapons on Shein’s marketplace, and reported the incident to ARCOM, France’s communications watchdog.
The firm had then suspended third-party listings found on its marketplace, although Shein clothing remained available through the site.
In December, France temporarily paused its push for an immediate emergency shutdown of Shein, and instead, a lawyer for the state, Renaud Le Gunehec, demanded that Shein put a series of controls on its site, including age verification and filtering.