On-line retailers Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Want are being investigated in France in relation to the offence of enabling minors to entry pornographic content material on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor mentioned on Tuesday.
The nation’s shopper watchdog had reported the 4 corporations to the prosecution service on Sunday after elevating considerations concerning the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein’s platform over the weekend.
The Paris prosecutor’s workplace advised the BBC that the platforms are being investigated over violent, pornographic or “undignified messages” that may be accessed by minors.
AliExpress advised the BBC it takes the matter very severely. Shein, Temu and Want have additionally been contacted for remark.
Shein and AliExpress are additionally below investigation over the dissemination of content material associated to kids which are of a pornographic nature, the workplace mentioned.
The instances have been referred to Paris’ Workplace des Mineurs, the prosecution service added. The workplace is an arm of the French police drive that oversees the safety of minors.
AliExpress mentioned the listings in query violated its insurance policies and have been eliminated as soon as it turned conscious of them.
“Sellers discovered to violate or attempting to bypass these necessities can be penalised in accordance with our guidelines,” AliExpress mentioned in a press release.
On Monday, Shein mentioned it had banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform worldwide. The Singapore-based retailer additionally mentioned that it could completely block all vendor accounts associated to the unlawful sale of the childlike dolls and set stricter controls on its platform.
The French shopper watchdog, the Directorate Normal for Competitors, Client Affairs and Fraud Management, had mentioned the intercourse dolls’ description and categorisation left “little doubt as to the kid pornography nature” of the merchandise.
The scrutiny of Shein comes as the corporate, which was based in China, prepares for the opening on Wednesday of its first everlasting bodily outlet in France .
Protesters have been seen gathered in entrance of the Paris division retailer the place Shein is about to open the outlet.
Shein plans to open outlets in other French department stores in cities together with Dijon, Reims and Angers.
