French Court Nixes Bid to Suspend Shein E-Commerce Platform

A Paris court has rejected a request by the French government to suspend the Chinese online retail platform Shein for a three-month period, Sophia Khatsenkova reported for Euronews.

Judges ruled that suspending the platform would have been “disproportionate,” particularly in light of Shein’s removal of the illegal products identified by authorities.(Photo: SHEIN Facebook)

However, the court attached a clear injunction to its decision: Shein will not be allowed to resume sales of “adult products that could constitute pornographic content” unless it first puts in place reliable age-verification mechanisms.

Judges ruled that suspending the platform would have been “disproportionate,” particularly in light of Shein’s removal of the illegal products identified by authorities.

The ruling followed a scandal in which the platform was found to be selling highly controversial items, including childlike sex dolls, weapons such as brass knuckles and machetes, and banned medications, sparking widespread concern among French authorities and consumer protection groups.