Finance
France seeks three-month suspension of Shein over sex dolls
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 25, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 25, 2025
3 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
France seeks a three-month suspension of Shein over illegal sales of childlike sex dolls, citing Article 6.3 of the digital economy law. A court ruling is expected soon.
By Helen Reid and Alessandro Parodi
PARIS (Reuters) -The French government will ask a Paris judge on Wednesday to order the suspension of Chinese online platform Shein in the country for three months over sales of childlike sex dolls and banned weapons, a finance ministry official said on Tuesday.
Shein has already disabled its marketplace - where third-party sellers offer their products to shoppers around the world - in France since November 5, after the government found the dolls and weapons for sale on the site, but the part of its website offering Shein's own clothing range is still accessible.
The government aims to secure a three-month suspension of Shein's website as a whole, under an extraordinary judicial procedure, as it pushes the company to tighten controls over the products it sells.
RULING EXPECTED IN THE COMING WEEKS
The court of Paris is set to hold a hearing on Wednesday on the accelerated judicial procedure the government has started, summoning Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd, the Dublin-based company behind Shein's business in Europe, with lawyers for the company also expected to attend.
France's case rests on Article 6.3 of the digital economy law, which gives a judge powers to prescribe measures with the aim of preventing or halting harm caused by online content.
The court will have to decide whether a suspension is warranted, and whether it is in line with European Union law. Under EU law, online marketplaces, as intermediaries, are not directly liable for products sold by third parties, but have an obligation to remove illegal products as soon as they become aware of them.
"We know how powerful Shein is from a technical standpoint, and even, I would say, in terms of its use of artificial intelligence for production, so we can assume that it has the technical, technological and financial means to carry out these checks. The fact is that it does not do so," the finance ministry official said in a press briefing.
A ruling is not expected on Wednesday, but in the coming weeks, the official said.
Shein did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
France has also summoned major internet service providers Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange and SFR to the hearing, requesting they block Shein's website.
The government started the process to block Shein in France on the day the fast-fashion retailer opened its first physical shop in a Paris department store.
It has also been cracking down on other online platforms, with consumer watchdog DGCCRF finding that AliExpress and Joom were also selling childlike sex dolls, while Wish, Temu, and Amazon failed to filter underage shoppers from adult content.
France is also taking its fight to the EU, pushing for the European Commission to open a formal investigation into Shein over illicit products.
(Reporting by Helen Reid and Alessandro Parodi. Additional reporting by Juliette Jabkhiro. Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Mark Potter)
Childlike sex dolls are adult products designed to resemble children. Their sale is often controversial and may be illegal in many jurisdictions due to concerns about child exploitation.
EU law refers to the body of laws and regulations that govern the member states of the European Union. It includes treaties, directives, and regulations that affect various aspects of life and business within the EU.
A suspension order is a legal directive issued by a court to temporarily halt a specific activity or operation, often pending further investigation or legal proceedings.
The digital economy law encompasses regulations that govern online activities, including e-commerce, data protection, and the responsibilities of online platforms regarding content and transactions.
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