French Watchdog Refers Shein to Prosecutors Over Childlike Sex Doll Listings

French watchdog refers Shein to prosecutors over childlike sex dolls

France’s consumer protection authority has referred fast-fashion retailer Shein to public prosecutors after finding listings for sex dolls with a childlike appearance on the company’s website.

The items, measuring roughly three feet tall, were styled to resemble young girls — complete with dark braids and a teddy bear — and were described on the site as a “sex doll…with erotic body” with “realistic” genitalia. The product was listed at around €190 (£170).

The Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) said the online description “makes it difficult to doubt the child pornography nature of the content” and that it had formally referred the case to the public prosecutor. The watchdog also criticised the absence of safeguards that might have prevented minors from encountering such listings.

“Imagine a child browsing the site, looking for a doll, randomly stumbling upon these products,” said Alice Vilcot-Dutarte, a DGCCRF spokesperson, describing the adverts as particularly shocking.

Shein, the China-origin e-commerce platform known for ultra-cheap clothing, electronics and homewares, said it removed the listings as soon as it became aware of them and has launched an internal investigation. In a statement to Reuters the company said: “The products in question were immediately removed from the platform as soon as we became aware of these major shortcomings,” and reiterated a “zero-tolerance policy towards any content or products that violate our internal policies or applicable laws.”

The incident adds to growing regulatory and public scrutiny of the retailer across Europe. This year Shein has faced fines totalling up to about £170 million in the EU for breaches including the use of cookies without consent, misleading pricing practices, and failing to declare the presence of plastic microfibres in some garments.

The referral also coincides with a controversial retail push in France: Shein is due to open its first physical shop at Paris’s BHV Marais department store and plans permanent outlets in several Galeries Lafayette locations. The openings have prompted criticism from local suppliers and campaigners who say the company’s low-cost, high-volume model harms local retail, contributes to job losses and has environmental and labour-supply concerns.

French lawmakers have recently moved to limit tax advantages for fast-fashion platforms; an amendment adopted in budget debates aims to remove some tax benefits for companies such as Shein and rival marketplace Temu. Activists have additionally accused Shein of relying on practices that risk forced labour and environmental damage, claims the company denies.

The DGCCRF referral underscores mounting concerns about the content sold on global online marketplaces and the need for stronger safeguards to prevent minors from accessing potentially illegal or harmful products.