Paris Court Rejects Suspension of Shein's Website Over Childlike Sex Dolls, Orders Age Verification
A Paris court has rejected the French government's request to suspend Shein's website over the sale of childlike sex dolls, deeming a three-month suspension disproportionate. The court recognized the seriousness of the items involved but described the incidents as isolated and limited to a small number of products among hundreds of thousands available on the site.
Following a complaint from France's consumer watchdog, which referred concerns about sex dolls with childlike appearances and weapons, the court ordered Shein to implement age verification for the sale of adult products on its platform. Failure to comply with this ruling would result in fines of €10,000 per breach. Additionally, the court denied the government's request to suspend sales of third-party items on Shein’s site.
In response to the controversy, Shein announced a ban on the sale of all sex dolls on its platform internationally. The ruling coincided with Shein opening its first physical store in Paris in early November, an event that attracted both shoppers and protesters. Shein stated that it would continue to improve its control processes and work in collaboration with French authorities to comply with local laws.
