Register to get free articles
Want unlimited access? View Plans
Already have an account? Sign in
The French Senate passed a revised bill on Monday to curb online ultra-fast fashion retailers including Shein, Temu and AliExpress.
The legislation follows more than two years of debate between the upper and lower houses of parliament over how to bring such a measure in line with EU regulations. The Senate passed the bill yesterday after the lower house National Assembly did last week.
Under the new regulations, targeted companies will face fines of between €0.25 (22p) to €6 (£5.17) per product this year, with penalties rising to as much as €10 (£8.61) per product by 2030.
The law also bans advertising by ultra-fast fashion platforms and prohibits online influencers from promoting their items.
An early version of the bill was passed in March 2024 by the lower house of parliament. A June 2025 Senate revision focused specifically on online platforms, excluding European retailers such as Zara and H&M.
The revised bill must now be promulgated by the president, Emmanuel Macron, to be enforced.
Earlier this month, the French consumer protection authority fined Shein around €22m (£19m) over failures involving customer order confirmations, product returns and environmental labelling.
The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) announced the enforcement action on 3 June following an investigation into several international e-commerce platforms.
The watchdog issued a €16.7m (£14.4m) penalty for non-compliant order confirmations, and a further €5.8m (£5m) fine for issues relating to customer return policies and missing environmental quality information.
Last year, French authorities also asked the courts to suspend Shein’s website for three months after officials said that childlike sex dolls and banned weapons had been identified on the platform.
The request follows the disabling of Shein’s marketplace in France on 5 November 2025, though the retailer’s own clothing site remains accessible.
Shein and Temu have been contacted for comment.
