EU Commission to Meet Shein After France Calls for Probe into Alleged Sales of Child‑Like Dolls and Banned Weapons

EU Commission to meet Shein after France urges probe

Representatives of the European Commission and Chinese e-commerce firm Shein are scheduled to meet on Friday, a Commission spokesperson said, after the French government urged an investigation into allegations that the platform sold child-like sex dolls and prohibited weapons on its marketplace.

The Commission has authority under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA) to investigate large online platforms for possible breaches. The DSA requires platforms to collect and verify information about third-party sellers, to monitor their marketplaces for non-compliant products, and to take corrective action where necessary.

"This afternoon, our Commission services working on the DSA will be in touch with Shein representatives ... we will take it from there and take potential next steps under the DSA," the spokesperson said.

Officials are expected to discuss Shein's procedures for vetting third-party sellers, the company's removal and enforcement mechanisms, and any evidence supplied by French authorities. Shein did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

Reporting by Alessandro Parodi and Helen Reid; editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten.