French Authorities Investigates Shein and Temu After Sex Doll Scandal
Online retailers such as these four major platforms are now facing scrutiny in the French Republic for the offence of allowing minors to obtain adult content on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor announced on Tuesday.
The country's consumer protection agency had brought to light the companies to the judicial system on Sunday after voicing concerns about the sale of childlike adult toys on Shein's platform in recent days.
The Paris prosecutor's office clarified that the online services are being investigated over violent, pornographic or “undignified” content that can be viewed by minors.
One of the platforms stated that it considers the matter extremely earnestly. The other retailers have also been reached out to for a statement.
Broader Probes and Platform Responses
Shein and AliExpress are furthermore being examined over the spread of information related to minors that are of a pornographic character, the office mentioned.
The matters have been passed to the French minor protection office, the prosecution service explained. This unit is an branch of the law enforcement that manages the safeguarding of minors.
The platform stated that the items in question violated its guidelines and were deleted once it learned of them.
"Merchants discovered to violate or seeking to circumvent these requirements will be disciplined in accordance with our rules," the platform declared in a official comment.
On Monday, the retailer confirmed it had outlawed the marketing of all intimate products on its platform worldwide. The Singapore-based company also stated that it would ban indefinitely all vendor profiles associated with the prohibited transaction of the minor-looking items and implement tighter safeguards on its website.
Agency Findings and Larger Scenario
The French consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, had remarked that the products' description and grouping left "clear indication as to the illicit essence" of the products.
The examination of the platform coincides with the business, which was founded in China, makes arrangements for the launch on Wednesday of its inaugural long-term brick-and-mortar store in the French Republic.
Demonstrators have been observed gathered in outside the French capital retail outlet where the company is set to unveil the store.
Shein intends to inaugurate shops in additional France's retail chains in cities including multiple French towns.
