French Economy Minister Roland Lescure said on Monday that he would block access to Shein in France if the online retailer resumed selling child-like sex dolls — products the Asian e-commerce company says it has already removed from its site.

“If such behavior is repeated, we will be within our rights — and I will request — to ban access to the Shein platform in the French market,” Lescure said on BFMTV and RMC.

“For terrorist acts, drug trafficking, and items of a child pornographic nature, the government can request a ban on access to the French market if such behavior occurs again or if the items in question are not removed within 24 hours,” he added.

“These horrendous items are illegal, and there will be a judicial investigation,” he said.

On Saturday, France’s consumer fraud watchdog, the DGCCRF, announced that it had reported the sale of “child-like sex dolls” to the courts after finding them listed on Shein’s website. Shein, which plans to open its first permanent physical store in Paris on Wednesday, confirmed that it had removed the listings.

Shein stated that “the products in question were immediately removed from the platform as soon as we became aware of these serious breaches,” emphasizing its “zero-tolerance policy toward any content or product that contravenes our internal policies or applicable laws.” The company’s management said the items were listed through its third-party marketplace, which it is now “completely reviewing to identify and remove any similar products that other sellers might post.”

The sale of illegal products on online marketplaces — and how authorities oversee them — remains a crucial issue.

“It’s not just Shein; there are many other platforms, both well-known and lesser-known, and we have been alerted to other cases,” said Sarah El Haïry, High Commissioner for Children, on franceinfo on Monday.

Lescure also acknowledged that French law could be bypassed through the use of VPNs. “France does not have the means to combat this at this stage,” he conceded.

Founded in China, Shein has established a massive global presence in fast fashion and has become a major player in online retail since entering the French market in 2015. The company often faces criticism for alleged unfair competition, environmental harm, and poor working conditions.

Despite public backlash, Shein plans to open its first permanent store on Wednesday inside BHV Marais, the historic Paris department store, in a space exceeding 1,000 square meters.

“I walked along Rue de Rivoli this weekend and saw Shein’s banners all along the shopfront — it’s provocation,” Lescure said.

Dominique Schelcher, CEO of Coopérative U, said on X that he hoped “the discovery of child-like sex dolls on the Shein site by the DGCCRF will lead to the site being formally CLOSED by the authorities as soon as possible.” He also urged BHV to abandon the project.

With AFP