France could block Shein after childlike sex dolls found on platform

French authorities on Monday warned they could block the online retailer Shein from the French market after the country’s consumer watchdog said it had found sex dolls with a childlike appearance being sold on the company’s platform. The Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control said it discovered the listings late Saturday, referred the case to public prosecutors and urged the company to take urgent corrective measures. Economy Minister Roland Lescure said he would seek to bar access to the platform in France if such items reappeared, and a judicial investigation has been opened.

The DGCCRF said the descriptions and categorization of the dolls left little doubt as to their childpornographic nature and flagged the site’s lack of effective age filters for pornographic products, including adultlike sex dolls. The agency issued a formal notice asking Shein to remove the content and referred the matter to France’s audiovisual and digital regulator for enforcement of EU online rules. Under French law, authorities can require online platforms to remove clearly illegal content within 24 hours and, if they do not comply, can order internet service...