A Paris court has mandated that the fast-fashion behemoth Shein must introduce strict age verification for all adult products sold on its online marketplace. The ruling comes with a hefty penalty of €10,000 for each subsequent breach, following a major scandal involving the sale of disturbing items.
Court Rejects Full Suspension as "Disproportionate"
While imposing the new rules, the court rejected a more severe request from the French government to suspend Shein's entire website for three months. Judges deemed this potential shutdown a "disproportionate" measure. This decision offers the Chinese retailer significant relief amidst intense regulatory pressure in one of its key European markets.
The legal action was triggered after France's consumer protection watchdog, the DGCCRF, conducted an investigation. They discovered that Shein's marketplace, which hosts third-party sellers, was offering banned weapons and sex dolls designed to resemble children.
Shein's Response and Wider Crackdown
A Shein spokesperson responded to the court's decision, stating: "We welcome this decision. We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities... Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations."
The government's push for a suspension began dramatically on 5 November, less than two hours after Shein's first-ever physical store opened in the BHV department store in Paris. In reaction to the scandal, Shein has already suspended its third-party marketplace in France, though its core site selling Shein-branded clothing remains active. The company has also halted global sales of sex toys on its marketplaces.
This case is part of a broader French and European clampdown on online platforms. The DGCCRF found similar issues with other marketplaces:
- AliExpress and Joom were also found selling childlike sex dolls.
- Wish, Temu, and Amazon failed to adequately prevent underage users from accessing adult content.
France has escalated the issue to the European Union level, urging the European Commission to launch a formal investigation into Shein concerning illegal products.
