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

Shein removes and bans sex-doll listings globally after French authorities object

Asian e-commerce company Shein said it has imposed a global ban on "sex-doll-type" products and removed all related listings after French authorities and media exposed listings for dolls that resembled children. The move follows a report by France's anti-fraud unit and coverage by Le Parisien showing an approximately 80 cm (30 in) doll holding a teddy bear paired with an explicitly sexual caption.

Investigations and official responses

The Paris prosecutor's office has opened investigations into Shein and rival online marketplace AliExpress over the sale of those dolls and the distribution of "messages that are violent, pornographic or improper, (and) accessible to minors," the office told AFP. France's finance minister, Roland Lescure, warned he could seek to ban Shein from the French market if such items reappeared online, calling the listings "horrible items" and saying they were illegal.

Company actions

Shein initially took the listings down and said it launched an internal inquiry. On Monday the company announced it would delete all listings and images linked to sex-doll-type products and implement a "total ban" on those items globally. CEO Donald Tang said the problematic listings came from third-party vendors and added, "I take personal responsibility." Shein also said it will set up a dedicated team to monitor platform content and help ensure compliance.

Other platforms and legal steps

AliExpress said it immediately removed the items after reports surfaced. France's anti-fraud office later said it was taking legal action against AliExpress for selling what it described as "child-porn-style dolls." The Paris prosecutor's probe will examine whether postings were accessible to minors or otherwise unlawful.

Paris store controversy and wider context

The controversy erupted just days before Shein is due to open its first physical store inside BHV Marais in central Paris — a launch that has provoked public criticism. Frederic Merlin, director of the company that owns BHV, called the sale of childlike dolls "unacceptable" but defended allowing Shein into the store, saying only clothing and items designed specifically by Shein for BHV will be sold there. Since the announcement, some brands have withdrawn their products from the department store.

Shein, a Singapore-based company originally founded in China, has previously faced scrutiny over working conditions, environmental impacts tied to ultra-fast fashion, and multiple fines in France. In 2025 France fined Shein three times, totaling 191 million euros, for breaches including online cookie rules, false advertising, misleading product information, and failing to declare plastic microfibres in products. The European Commission is also reviewing Shein for risks linked to illegal products while EU lawmakers pursue measures to curb fast fashion's environmental harm.

What happens next

Investigations by French authorities and potential legal action against online marketplaces are ongoing. Shein's global ban and new content-monitoring measures aim to prevent similar incidents, but regulators and consumer groups will likely continue scrutinizing listings and vendor oversight practices across platforms.