Shein Halts Online Sales of Sex Dolls Amidst French Backlash Over 'Childlike' Appearance
Asian e-commerce giant Shein has taken a drastic measure to avoid a potential backlash from the French government by banning sex dolls from sale on its platforms worldwide. The move comes just days before Shein is set to open its first physical store in Paris, with France's finance minister having threatened to ban the retailer if it resumes selling such items.
The decision to withdraw the offending products was made after France's anti-fraud unit reported that Shein had been selling dolls resembling children, sparking widespread outrage. The dolls in question measured around 80 centimeters in height and were accompanied by explicit descriptions, raising concerns about their intended use and potential impact on children.
In a statement, Shein's CEO Donald Tang took personal responsibility for the issue, acknowledging that the publications came from third-party vendors but accepting full liability. The company has also announced plans to set up a dedicated team to ensure the integrity of content on its sales platform.
The move has been welcomed by French authorities, who have been critical of Shein's business practices in recent months. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, stated that several websites were being investigated for selling similar items, including Chinese shopping platform AliExpress.
AliExpress had already removed the dolls from its website in response to criticism, but the anti-fraud office has vowed to take legal action against the company for selling what it describes as "child-porn-style dolls". Two other major online retail platforms, Temu and Wish, are also being targeted by legal action for hosting pornographic material without applying age restrictions.
The incident has sparked renewed outrage in France, where Shein's presence in the country has been met with skepticism. The company is due to open its first physical store in Paris on Wednesday, but some brands have already pulled their products from the BHV Marais department store over concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls.
Shein has faced criticism for its business practices in recent months, including its environmental impact and working conditions at its factories. The company has been fined three times by France since 2025 for various infractions, with the latest total exceeding €191 million ($220 million).
Asian e-commerce giant Shein has taken a drastic measure to avoid a potential backlash from the French government by banning sex dolls from sale on its platforms worldwide. The move comes just days before Shein is set to open its first physical store in Paris, with France's finance minister having threatened to ban the retailer if it resumes selling such items.
The decision to withdraw the offending products was made after France's anti-fraud unit reported that Shein had been selling dolls resembling children, sparking widespread outrage. The dolls in question measured around 80 centimeters in height and were accompanied by explicit descriptions, raising concerns about their intended use and potential impact on children.
In a statement, Shein's CEO Donald Tang took personal responsibility for the issue, acknowledging that the publications came from third-party vendors but accepting full liability. The company has also announced plans to set up a dedicated team to ensure the integrity of content on its sales platform.
The move has been welcomed by French authorities, who have been critical of Shein's business practices in recent months. France's high commissioner for childhood, Sarah El Hairy, stated that several websites were being investigated for selling similar items, including Chinese shopping platform AliExpress.
AliExpress had already removed the dolls from its website in response to criticism, but the anti-fraud office has vowed to take legal action against the company for selling what it describes as "child-porn-style dolls". Two other major online retail platforms, Temu and Wish, are also being targeted by legal action for hosting pornographic material without applying age restrictions.
The incident has sparked renewed outrage in France, where Shein's presence in the country has been met with skepticism. The company is due to open its first physical store in Paris on Wednesday, but some brands have already pulled their products from the BHV Marais department store over concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls.
Shein has faced criticism for its business practices in recent months, including its environmental impact and working conditions at its factories. The company has been fined three times by France since 2025 for various infractions, with the latest total exceeding €191 million ($220 million).
. They were probably playing it safe given the whole situation in France 
. I mean, who wants controversy and potential fines with an upcoming physical store launch? 
It just goes to show that companies need to consider their global audience and regulatory landscape before doing business. Shein's also trying to show they're taking responsibility for third-party vendors' content, which is a good step 
. The real question now is what other products will be affected by this decision?
Guess Shein's execs were thinking ahead... or just really nervous about a French shopping trip 
. I mean, I get it, they didn't want to risk upsetting the French authorities or getting sued for selling those creepy dolls 
. But now they'll probably just lose even more business due to this whole thing... and people are gonna be like "Shein's trying to cover their tracks" 
. Now let's see if they can really deliver on those promises about improving their content moderation 
anyway shein's trying to be more responsible now and all i guess thats cool 
anyway it just goes to show how sensitive people can be about these kinds of things 
. But seriously, France is being super strict about this and I'm kinda here for it 
. Now that they're pulling them from sale, it's a bit too little, too late for some people, but at least they're taking responsibility 
.
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anyway, i'm still on team shein - they're not all bad, they do have some cool fashion stuff 
i mean i get it france is being super sensitive but come on who doesn't know what they are for? anyway i'm kinda impressed that shein took the initiative to remove them from their website and implement new policies to prevent similar situations in the future 
but let's be real, this is just another example of how online shopping can go horribly wrong u gotta be careful what u click on