Shein Bans All Sex Dolls After France Threatens Ban Over Its ‘Childlike’ Products

Shein has imposed a total ban on sex dolls across its global marketplace after the French government threatened to block the platform over the sale of childlike sex dolls.

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure on Monday warned that France would ban the Chinese retailer if it repeated such violations.

The move came after France’s consumer watchdog, DGCCRF, said it had detected childlike and adult-looking sex dolls listed on Shein’s platform, along with several other pornographic items. The watchdog reported the findings to judicial authorities.

Following the alert, Shein immediately pulled all childlike sex dolls from its marketplace on Sunday.

Global Ban and Stricter Controls Announced
In a statement released hours after Lescure’s warning, Shein said it had imposed “strict sanctions” on the merchants responsible and permanently banned “all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products.”

The retailer also announced it was temporarily suspending its “adult products” category while conducting a comprehensive review.
“While each seller is responsible for their own listings, Shein does not tolerate any violation of its internal rules and policies,” the company said in its official statement.

Strengthened Monitoring and Keyword Blacklist
Shein said it has strengthened its keyword blacklist to prevent sellers from attempting to bypass product restrictions. Every listing and image related to sex dolls has been removed from its marketplace, the company added.

“The company has also strengthened its keyword blacklist to further prevent attempted circumvention of product listing restrictions by sellers,” Shein said.

Company Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Stance
Shein’s Executive Chairman Donald Tang strongly condemned the listings, saying the company is committed to protecting children and ensuring compliance.
“The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein,” Tang said. “These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers. but I take this personally. We are tracing the source and will take swift, decisive action against those responsible.”
 

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Shein’s Paris Launch Amid Controversy
The controversy comes just days before Shein’s first-ever physical store opening in Paris, scheduled for Wednesday at the BHV department store in central Paris.

The French consumer watchdog earlier said the nature and categorisation of the products left “little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content.”


(With Inputs From BBC)