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A Shein Scandal in France Goes GlobalHow the sale of childlike sex dolls sparked a crisis for the fast-fashion giantBy Jazmin Agudelo for Ruta Pantera on 11/22/2025 1:55:50 PM |
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| On November 3, 2025—just two days before opening its first brick-and-mortar store in Paris—Shein announced a complete ban on the sale of sex dolls across its global platform. In the whirlwind world of e-commerce, where a single click can materialize personal image desires in days, ethical boundaries often blur. Shein, the Chinese titan of fast fashion that has revolutionized global wardrobes with low-cost garments and fleeting trends, now faces a dilemma that transcends fabric and price: the morality of its products. On November 3, 2025—just two days before opening its first physical store in Paris—Shein announced a total worldwide ban on the sale of sex dolls on its platform. The decision did not stem from corporate whim but from a perfect storm of public outrage, government pressure, and accusations of child pornography. It all began with a disturbing discovery: sex dolls with a “childlike” appearance available on its French site, leading to threats of a total veto in the French market and judicial investigations. The timeline of the chaos unfolded as quickly as Shein’s deliveries. On Saturday, November 1, France’s General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) flagged the presence of “sex dolls with a childlike appearance” on the platform. These figures, roughly 80 centimeters tall, clutched teddy bears and came with explicitly sexual descriptions that, according to the report, “left no doubt about their pedopornographic nature.” Sold by third parties through Shein’s marketplace, the dolls not only violated content rules but also exposed the lack of effective age filters, allowing minors or sensitive audiences to access pornographic material—a serious crime under French law. The DGCCRF referred the case to the Paris prosecutor’s office, which opened investigations not only against Shein but also against rivals like AliExpress, Temu, and Wish for similar violations. On Sunday, Shein responded by removing the listings and promising an internal investigation into how these products bypassed its controls. But the damage was done. On Monday, November 3, French Economy Minister Roland Lescure issued a blunt warning on BFMTV: “If these behaviors are repeated, we will have the right to… ban Shein’s access to the French market.” The statement came at a critical moment: Shein was set to open its pop-up store at the iconic BHV Marais in Paris on Wednesday, November 5—its first permanent physical presence worldwide. Protests erupted outside the department store, with employees and activists denouncing the “invasion” of Chinese fast fashion, already criticized for its environmental and labor impact. Sarah El-Haïry, High Commissioner for Children, demanded the identification of sellers and buyers, stressing that “no one has the right to buy pedocriminal dolls.” This scandal not only jeopardizes Shein’s European expansion but also illustrates the risks of a business model based on third-party sellers and opaque algorithms. | ||||
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In response, Shein’s executive chairman, Donald Tang, issued a personal statement: “The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein. These were third-party listings, but I take it personally.” The company imposed a “total ban” on all sex-doll products, temporarily removed the “adult products” category, and created a dedicated team to review content. It also pledged to share buyer data with French authorities and expand its blacklist of keywords to prevent circumvention. Quentin Ruffat, Shein’s spokesperson in France, confirmed to RMC Radio: “We will fully cooperate with the judicial authorities.” This is not Shein’s first controversy in France; in September, the CNIL fined it €150 million for cookie violations. To grasp the weight of this decision, one must revisit Shein’s meteoric rise. Founded in 2008 in Nanjing, China, by Chris Xu, the platform has become an e-commerce colossus with estimated annual sales of $30 billion in 2024. Its model—on-demand production, rock-bottom prices (garments from €2), and algorithms that track TikTok trends—has democratized fashion but at the cost of fierce criticism. In Europe, which accounts for 40% of its revenue, Shein faces scrutiny for tax evasion, precarious labor conditions in Chinese factories, and a carbon footprint equivalent to 180 daily transatlantic flights. The physical expansion in Paris was a symbolic milestone: entering the fashion capital to counter its “disposable fashion” image. Yet the scandal’s timing amplified the backlash. Frédéric Merlin, BHV’s director, admitted he considered canceling the partnership, but Shein’s swift response saved it: “In a physical store, these situations would never occur.” The core problem lies in Shein’s marketplace, an ecosystem of over 6,000 third-party sellers flooding the platform with millions of products. Unlike Amazon, which invests in human moderation and advanced AI, Shein has been accused of lax controls, prioritizing volume over verification. A DGCCRF report noted that the dolls—categorized as “erotic toys” with no age restrictions—facilitated access by minors. This is not isolated: in 2018, Amazon faced a similar scandal with childlike sex dolls sold by third parties, leading to mass removals and policy upgrades. Experts, such as those cited by The Guardian, warn that these incidents expose vulnerabilities in global e-commerce: “The scale of platforms makes them prone to abuse, where profit eclipses ethics.” | |||
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