EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen will meet French ministers on Thursday after French authorities urged the Commission to investigate and sanction e-commerce giant Shein for allowing “a childlike sex doll’ to be sold on the platform.
“Today’s [discussion] will feed the potential next steps from the EU side,” Thomas Regnier, the Commission spokesperson for digital affairs, told journalists. Shein was founded in China but is now headquartered in Singapore.
French authorities are demanding swift action at a European level on the basis that the content sold on the website is available to buy across the single market, not just France. In addition, the childlike features of the doll have sparked national uproar about the lack of standards controls for websites which could be used by criminals and podophiles.
“Given the systemic risks posed by such behaviour and the legitimate concerns it raises among European citizens, the European Union must deliver firm responses to any failings or breaches that may be identified as a result of such an investigation,” they wrote.
EU spokesperson Regnier said the Commission “takes notes” of the decisions in France.
“They are based on French national law, but it adds to concerns we have already expressed to Shein,” Regnier said.
“A platform that is allowing pornographic content or the selling of weapons, does not meet EU standards,” he added.
France said on Wednesday that it is suspending access to Shein’s online platform until the company proves that its content meets French law standards.
Jean-Noël Barrot, French foreign affairs minister, said: “The Commission has launched certain investigations, and it must now back them up with sanctions.”
Online platform rules in the spotlight
Under EU rules – the Digital Services Act (DSA), which became applicable in full last year – online platforms must take down illegal content and products.
Last May, the Commission found that Shein, known for its ultralow prices, engages in illegal commercial practices following an investigation carried out alongside national consumer protection authorities. That probe is still ongoing.
If the Commission sees no progress, the company could face multimillion euro fines.
In addition, the EU executive sent separate requests for information on illegal goods circulating on the platform such as weapons.
Shein disputes the allegations.
The company said earlier this week that it has banned all sex-doll products and temporarily removed its adult products category for a review. The company has also launched an investigation to determine how the listings bypassed its screening measures.
Earlier this week, a group 40 members of the European Parliament representing a cross-party platform from the Greens to the centre-right EPP, also sent a letter to the Commission asking to open an investigation about similar sex dolls. The letter cited sites such as AliExpress and Temu, signalling a broader problem with China-founded online companies.
The French call for enforcement action came after Shein opened its first physical store in Paris on Wednesday, which drew large crowds of shoppers as well as protesters.
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