Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – France on Thursday increased pressure on the European Union to open a formal probe into the Chinese global e-commerce platform Shein over the sale of banned weapons and child-like sex dolls on its marketplace.
Due to the unlawful items, France has already taken steps to ban the online fast-fashion retailer Shein, while Shein has suspended its marketplace in France for reviewing its third-party sellers and has already banned the sale of sex dolls worldwide.
What is France urging the European Union to do?
“France alerts the European Commission and all member states to these serious breaches within its borders, and expects there are similar risks associated with this platform’s activities in other European Union countries,”
French finance minister Roland Lescure and digital minister Anne Le Henanff penned a letter to the European Commissioner for technological sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen.
France has requested that the European Commission carry out investigations “without delay” to determine what resulted in the sale of illicit items on the platform, according to the letter, which was sent late Wednesday and shared with the media on Thursday.
What violations did French authorities uncover on Shein’s site?
On Wednesday, France began the process to halt Shein after childlike sex dolls and weaponry could be found on its website. The fact that France’s consumer watchdog discovered the dolls on Shein’s site last Saturday generated outrage and further forced a response from an online retail business already facing scrutiny over its store.
French lawmaker Antoine Vermorel-Marques earlier on Wednesday highlighted listings on Shein’s site for weapons, such as brass knuckles, which are prohibited in France, and an axe.
How are French ministers addressing Shein’s compliance failures?
The finance ministry announced that it will suspend Shein’s entire website in France, not only the marketplace, if banned products are still found for sale.
“On the Prime Minister’s instructions, the government is initiating proceedings to suspend Shein for as long as necessary for the platform to demonstrate to the authorities that all of its content is finally in compliance with our laws and regulations,”
the finance ministry said in a statement.
“Enough is enough with the pedopornographic dolls, and now the weapons,” Commerce and Small Business Minister Serge Papin briefed parliament on Wednesday before initiating the platform’s suspension.
How has public backlash intensified against Shein in Paris?
Moreover, the Shein store, located on the sixth floor of the BHV department store in Paris, has incited outrage from politicians, including Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, and retailers who say its model is unfair and ruining the French high street, Reuters reported.
Protesters shouted “Shame on you!” at a throng of shoppers waiting for hours outside BHV from across the street, where they were held back by barriers as riot police stood on.
