France Threatens to Ban Shein After Discovery of Illegal Weapons and Child-like Sex Dolls on Platform

French authorities are moving to suspend access to Shein’s online marketplace after discovering illegal weapons and child-like sex dolls for sale on the fast-fashion giant’s website. The announcement from France’s Finance Ministry came Wednesday, the same day Shein opened its first permanent physical store in Paris.

Government officials reported finding “large quantities” of illegal “Class A” weapons on Shein’s e-commerce platform, just days after the discovery of illegal sex dolls with childlike characteristics. While the ministry didn’t specify which weapons were found, Class A weapons in France include firearms, knives, machetes, and war materials.

The ministry warned that authorities may suspend Shein’s access in France if the prohibited items remain on the platform. A progress report is expected within 48 hours.

Shein, founded in China in 2012 and now headquartered in Singapore, pledged to work with French authorities to “address any concerns swiftly as we have always done.” The company stated it is “seeking dialogue with the authorities and government bodies on this issue.”

Frédéric Merlin, president of Société des Grands Magasins (SGM), which owns the BHV department store where Shein opened its physical location, expressed satisfaction with the government’s intervention. “I hope that, in the end, we will be able to stop selling illicit products on these marketplaces,” Merlin said.

Industry analysts suggest this controversy could significantly impact Shein’s business ambitions. According to Neil Saunders, managing director of research firm GlobalData, the backlash over the sex doll listings could be a “massive red flag” to investors and potentially derail the company’s plans to go public.

“It feeds into the view that Chinese-founded marketplaces are the Wild West of e-commerce, where there is very little compliance, and they don’t really adhere to established rules, that they don’t have full control over the platforms,” Saunders explained. He noted that while counterfeit merchandise is problematic, child sexual abuse material “crosses an important moral boundary.”

The timing of this scandal is particularly problematic for Shein, coinciding with the company’s high-profile opening at the iconic BHV Marais department store in Paris. The launch drew crowds of shoppers but was briefly disrupted by protesters waving anti-Shein signs before security escorted them out.

In response to the discoveries, Shein has banned all sex-doll products and temporarily removed its adult products category for review. The company also suspended listings from independent third-party vendors in its marketplace and launched an investigation to determine how the prohibited items bypassed its screening measures.

Even before these discoveries, Shein’s Paris store opening faced significant opposition from environmental groups, Paris City Hall, and France’s ready-to-wear industry. An online petition opposing the opening garnered more than 120,000 signatures, highlighting concerns about the company’s environmental impact and labor practices.

Critics have long accused Shein of poor environmental standards and questionable labor practices, including allegations that its supply chains may involve forced labor from China’s Xinjiang province, where human rights groups have documented serious abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

Despite the controversies, shoppers like Ticia Ones, a regular Shein online customer living in Paris, were drawn to the physical store. “We can see what we order, touch the items, it’s a good thing,” she said, adding that the brand’s low prices were particularly appealing.

The BHV store, which has struggled financially in recent years, hopes Shein’s presence will help revitalize business, even as some brands have exited the department store in protest.

France is currently working to limit the influence of fast-fashion companies based in Asian countries like Shein, Temu, and AliExpress through proposed legislation. The draft law would implement consumer awareness campaigns, advertising bans, taxes on small imported parcels, and stricter waste management rules.

Thibaut Ledunois, director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the French federation of women’s ready-to-wear, called the opening “a black day for our industry,” describing it as an attempt to justify “all the bad, and sad and horrible business that they develop all around the world.”