Online retail giant Shein says it has banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform around the world, after being accused of displaying products with a childlike appearance on its website.
The French consumer watchdog first raised concerns at the weekend over the description and categorisation of the dolls, saying it left little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content.
The company said on Monday that it had permanently banned all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products and will tighten controls across its global platform.
Shein also said it had temporarily removed its adult products category as a precaution.
Every listing and image related to the sex dolls has been removed from its platform, Shein confirmed, adding that it would conduct a thorough review and planned to set stricter controls on sellers.
The company has also strengthened its keyword blacklist to further prevent attempted circumvention of product listing restrictions by sellers, the company said.
Executive chairman Donald Tang said: The fight against child exploitation is non-negotiable for Shein. These were marketplace listings from third-party sellers - but I take this personally.
In a statement, the Paris prosecutor's office said it had received reports by France's Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) on Shein as well as other platforms concerning the sale of sex dolls resembling children. The prosecutor's office said it had referred the investigation to the OFMIN, a French agency tasked with preventing violence against minors.
Shein's actions follow a warning from France's finance minister threatening to ban the retailer if sales of such products continued. This was all happening just days before the launch of Shein's first permanent store in Paris, prompting protests from public outcry at BHV department store.
