Shein Bans Sex-Doll Listings Worldwide After French Outcry Over 'Childlike' Models

Shein imposes global ban after French authorities raise alarm

Asian e-commerce giant Shein announced on Monday it will prohibit the sale of sex-doll products across its websites worldwide after French authorities condemned listings that resembled children. The move follows public outrage and investigations by French authorities into several online marketplaces.

Investigations and controversy

Paris prosecutors said they have opened inquiries into Shein and rival platforms AliExpress, Temu and Wish to determine whether the marketplaces distributed material that is "violent, pornographic or improper" and accessible to minors. France's anti-fraud unit flagged listings described as "childlike" and of a likely pornographic nature; a photograph published by Le Parisien showed a roughly 80-centimetre (30-inch) doll pictured with a teddy bear and an explicitly sexual caption.

Shortly after the fraud watchdog's report, Shein removed the listings and launched an internal investigation. The company subsequently announced a "total ban on sex-doll-type products," deleting all related listings and images and saying the ban will apply globally. A Shein spokesperson told AFP the products came from third-party vendors; CEO Donald Tang said, "These publications came from third-party vendors, but I take personal responsibility."

French government reaction

France's finance minister, Roland Lescure, warned he would seek to ban Shein from the French market if the offending items reappeared. "These horrible items are illegal," he told broadcaster BFMTV and pledged a judicial investigation. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, said several websites were under investigation after media reports that AliExpress had offered similar dolls; AliExpress said it immediately removed the items. France's anti-fraud office later said it was taking legal action against AliExpress for selling what it described as "child-porn-style dolls."

Retail fallout and broader scrutiny

The controversy erupted days before Shein was due to open its first-ever physical store inside the BHV Marais department store in central Paris. Frederic Merlin, director of the company that owns BHV, called the sale of childlike dolls "unacceptable," but defended hosting Shein, saying only clothes and items conceived directly by Shein for BHV would be sold in-store. Some brands have pulled their products from BHV in response to the tenancy.

Shein, now headquartered in Singapore and originally founded in China, has faced repeated criticism over factory working conditions and the environmental impact of its ultra-fast-fashion business model. France has fined the company several times in 2025, imposing penalties totalling 191 million euros ($220 million) for breaches including online cookie legislation, false advertising, misleading information and failure to disclose plastic microfibres. The European Commission is also investigating Shein over risks linked to illegal products, while EU lawmakers have advanced measures aimed at curbing fast fashion's environmental impact.

Key fact: Shein says the ban is global and it has set up a dedicated team to strengthen content oversight on its platform.