The Chinese online retailer Shein is allowed to do business in France continue. A Paris court rejected one Request from the French state for a three-month ban the platform. The court sees the measure as “inappropriate” because Shein removed the denounced offers of illegal goods and these were “isolated cases”.
However, the judges complained that the sale of illegal goods had caused “serious damage to public order”. The illegal goods in question included child pornographic sex dolls, weapons and medication. The court also ordered that Shein may only offer sex toys and similar products for adults after verifying the age of the buyers. In the event of a violation, the group faces a fine of 10,000 euros per violation.
Shein had defended herself against the threatened ban. In a hearing at the beginning of December, the company complained about a political and media smear campaign. Shein continues to strive to improve “control processes in close collaboration with the French authorities” to “implement some of the most stringent standards in the industry,” a company spokesman said.
According to information from the Reuters news agency, Shein has now stopped selling sex toys on its online markets worldwide. The company has also set up an online page where third-party providers can offer products.
Further investigation
The French judiciary is still investigating the sale of child pornography products by Shein. If convicted, the company faces up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros. Lack of age controls and the sale of weapons could each result in three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.
A group of French trade associations and brands also sued Shein for unfair competition. Shein had early November amidst violent protests opened its first permanent store in a traditional department store opposite the Paris City Hall. Critics accuse Shein to flood the European market with cheap products. Other online platforms are also in the sights of the French justice system, partly because of illegal products and a lack of age verification.
