France seeks three-month Shein suspension over illicit products
The court of Paris is due to hear the case later today, with the operator of Shein’s European business summoned to appear alongside the company’s lawyers
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France will ask a Paris judge today (Wednesday 26 November) to suspend Shein’s website for three months after officials said that childlike sex dolls and banned weapons had been identified on the platform, Reuters has reported.
The request follows the disabling of Shein’s marketplace in France on 5 November, though the retailer’s own clothing site remains accessible. Officials are seeking a full shutdown as part of an accelerated judicial procedure intended to force tighter product controls.
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The court of Paris is due to hear the case later today, with Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd – the Dublin-based operator of Shein’s European business – summoned to appear alongside the company’s lawyers. The action is based on Article 6.3 of France’s digital economy law, which allows judges to order measures to prevent or halt online harm.
Judges will need to consider whether a suspension is justified and compatible with European Union law. Under EU rules, online marketplaces are not directly liable for goods sold by third parties but must remove illegal items once notified.
A finance ministry official said in a briefing that Shein had the means to improve its checks.
The official said: “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.”
Major internet service providers – Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange and SFR – have also been called to the hearing, with the government asking them to block access to the site.
The move comes on the same day Shein opened its first physical shop in a Paris department store. It also forms part of a broader clampdown on online platforms, after consumer watchdog the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control found similar dolls on AliExpress and Joom, and failures by Wish, Temu and Amazon to prevent underage access to adult content.
France is additionally urging the European Commission to launch a formal investigation into Shein over the sale of illicit products.
A ruling is expected in the coming weeks.
a Shein spokesperson told Retail Sector: “We take note of the adjournment request submitted by the government. At the hearing held this Wednesday, 26 November, we had intended to outline in detail the comprehensive controls we already have in place, as well as the significant enhancements we have made to our safety, control, and compliance systems, along with the broader initiatives we have implemented to reinforce the long-term integrity and reliability of our marketplace.
“As we await the new hearing scheduled for December 5, we reiterate our full commitment to working transparently with the authorities and to continuously strengthening our compliance framework, with the clear objective of building one of the most responsible compliance regimes in the industry.”
They added: “We were, and remain, fully available to the judge for urgent applications and ready to answer all questions and provide all necessary information.”
