The Chinese online clothing retailer SHEIN has been accused by French authorities of selling inflatable dolls suspected of child pornography, forcing the company to suspend sales of these products in several countries. French prosecutors have also launched an investigation. Furthermore, SHEIN’s plans to open a store in a major Parisian department store have also sparked strong criticism, with domestic opposition in France continuing to rise.
According to AFP, the suspension of SHEIN’s inflatable doll sales is not limited to France but will be implemented globally. The French Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) stated on November 1st that SHEIN was selling “dolls that resemble children” and warned that they “may have child pornography content.”
SHEIN immediately announced a halt to sales of these products and launched an internal investigation after the DGCCRF’s statement. However, French Economy and Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire stated that if SHEIN resumed sales, it would be “banned from the French market,” a statement that drew even more intense criticism. Ultimately, SHEIN decided to completely ban the sale of these products.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into SHEIN and AliExpress, another Chinese online shopping platform, for allegedly distributing child pornography. Under French law, distributing child pornography (including electronic distribution) is illegal, punishable by up to seven years in prison and a fine of €100,000.
Recently, France has intensified its crackdown on child pornography. For example, a high-ranking official of the Japan Football Association (JFA) was convicted of viewing child pornography on an airplane. French High Commissioner for Children, El-Héri, pointed out that “pedophiles use these kinds of dolls for ‘practice’.” El-Héri advocated that the purchase of such inflatable dolls should also be investigated as possession of child pornography.
Furthermore, SHEIN’s plan to open a store at the long-established BHV department store in Paris on November 5th has also sparked strong opposition within France. Critics argue that large-scale consumption models like SHEIN, based on “ultra-fast fashion,” not only shrink the space for the traditional fashion industry in Europe but also raise concerns about environmental pollution and the protection of workers’ rights.