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 client watchdog had reported the 4 companies to the prosecution service on Sunday after elevating considerations in regards to the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein’s platform over the weekend.
The Paris prosecutor’s workplace informed the BBC that the platforms are being investigated over violent, pornographic or “undignified messages” that may be accessed by minors.
The BBC has contacted the businesses for remark.
Shein and AliExpress are additionally underneath investigation over the dissemination of content material associated to youngsters which are of a pornographic nature, the workplace mentioned.
The instances have been referred to Paris’ Workplace des Mineurs, which oversees the safety of minors, the prosecution service added.
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 client watchdog, the Directorate Common for Competitors, Shopper 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 ready to open the outlet.
Shein plans to open outlets in other French department stores in cities together with Dijon, Reims and Angers.
