Was Shein selling 'childlike' sex dolls? E-commerce platform bans product after France finds resemblance to children
The Paris prosecutors’ office confirmed that investigations had been opened against Shein, AliExpress, Temu, and Wish for distributing ‘messages that are violent, pornographic or improper’ and accessible to minors.
Chinese-founded fashion and e-commerce giant Shein has announced a global ban on all sex-doll products after French authorities accused it of selling dolls resembling children and warned the company could face a market ban in France.
According to AFP, France’s anti-fraud office DGCCRF said listings on Shein’s website featured dolls that appeared “childlike” and were of a likely pornographic nature. The Paris prosecutors’ office confirmed that investigations had been opened against Shein, AliExpress, Temu, and Wish for distributing “messages that are violent, pornographic or improper” and accessible to minors.
As reported by CNN, Shein removed the products immediately after receiving the warning from France and launched an internal review. The company later announced a “complete ban on all sex-doll-type products.”
It also temporarily removed its adult products category for further review. A company spokesperson told AFP that the ban applies worldwide.
“These publications came from third-party vendors, but I take personal responsibility,” said Shein’s executive chairman Donald Tang, adding that “the fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein.”
France’s finance minister Roland Lescure told BFMTV that the government could legally block Shein’s access to the French market if such violations happen again.
“These horrible items are illegal,” he said, stressing that France would take firm action against the retailer.
According to the Associated Press (AP), under French law, distributing child-pornographic material online can lead to up to seven years in prison and a €100,000 fine.
The controversy comes just days before Shein’s first physical store opening in Paris’s BHV Marais department store, a move already facing backlash from activists and lawmakers. Some brands have pulled their products from BHV following the scandal.
Shein has already been fined three times in 2025 in France for cookie law violations, false advertising, misleading information, and undeclared plastic microfibres.