Wednesday, 05 November, 2025
London, UK
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 5:04 PM
overcast clouds 15.9°C
Condition: Overcast clouds
Humidity: 75%
Wind Speed: 11.3 km/h

France moves to suspend Shein after childlike sex doll controversy

PARIS — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu launched a procedure Wednesday to suspend Shein after a series of controversies involving the Chinese-founded online fast-fashion platform.

In a statement, France’s economy ministry said the suspension would last until the platform demonstrates “that all its content complies with our laws and regulations.”

It’s unclear if the suspension applies to Shein’s digital operations, the brick-and-mortar store that opened its doors Wednesday or both.

A report from France’s consumer watchdog put out over the weekend alleged that “sex dolls with childlike appearances” were being sold by Shein. Earlier Wednesday, conservative lawmaker Antoine Vermorel Marques filed a legal complaint, telling daily Le Parisien that he had identified weapons being sold on the website.

France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure, and the Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Serge Papin will issue an “initial progress report” within the next 48 hours, the statement said.

Earlier this week, Shein’s executive chairman, Donald Tang, told POLITICO that the firm created an “integrity panel” to review what products are sold on the platform and launched an internal inquiry.

This article was first published by POLITICO in French and translated by Victor Goury-Laffont. Nicolas Barré contributed reporting.

LP Staff Writers

Writers at Lord’s Press come from a range of professional backgrounds, including history, diplomacy, heraldry, and public administration. Many publish anonymously or under initials—a practice that reflects the publication’s long-standing emphasis on discretion and editorial objectivity. While they bring expertise in European nobility, protocol, and archival research, their role is not to opine, but to document. Their focus remains on accuracy, historical integrity, and the preservation of events and individuals whose significance might otherwise go unrecorded.

Categories

Follow

    Newsletter

    Subscribe to receive your complimentary login credentials and unlock full access to all features and stories from Lord’s Press.

    As a journal of record, Lord’s Press remains freely accessible—thanks to the enduring support of our distinguished partners and patrons. Subscribing ensures uninterrupted access to our archives, special reports, and exclusive notices.

    LP is free thanks to our Sponsors

    Privacy Overview

    Privacy & Cookie Notice

    This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to help us understand how our content is accessed and used. Cookies are small text files stored in your browser that allow us to recognise your device upon return, retain your preferences, and gather anonymised usage statistics to improve site performance.

    Under EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process this data based on your consent. You will be prompted to accept or customise your cookie preferences when you first visit our site.

    You may adjust or withdraw your consent at any time via the cookie settings link in the website footer. For more information on how we handle your data, please refer to our full Privacy Policy