Shein must verify age for sex toys, says French court

A Paris court has ordered Shein to implement age verification measures for any adult products ‍sold via its French website.

It has also set a 10,000 euro ($A17,727) fine for any breach, following uproar over childlike sex dolls sold on its marketplace.

The decision ​comes as authorities try to force Shein to tighten oversight of products sold by third parties on its site, and as France attempts to crack down on it ⁠and other platforms.

However, the court rejected the French government's request to suspend Shein's website as a whole for three months, saying it would be "disproportionate", a decision that alleviates some of the pressure the Chinese online platform has faced in France.

"We welcome this decision. We remain committed to continuously improving our control processes, in close collaboration with the French authorities, with the aim of establishing some of the most stringent standards in the industry, and we have been intensifying these efforts," a ‌Shein spokesperson said in ​a statement following the ruling.

"Our priority remains protecting French consumers and ensuring compliance with local laws and regulations," they added.

Shein ‍has been at the centre of a scandal since France's consumer watchdog found sex dolls resembling children and banned weapons for sale on its marketplace, prompting a government attempt to suspend the platform.

The court on Friday said Shein must implement measures to verify age - more than a simple declaration - that can prevent products of a pornographic nature being accessed by minors.

The French government began proceedings to suspend Shein on November 5, less than two hours after its first ever physical store opened ​in the BHV department store in Paris.

Shein suspended its marketplace - where third-party sellers list ‌their products - in France, but its site selling Shein-branded clothing remains accessible. The company also stopped selling sex toys on its marketplaces worldwide.

The court said in a statement that Shein had removed ​the products rapidly, and that a systematic lack of controls, oversight or regulation had not been proven.

France's consumer regulator said last month it had found five other platforms - AliExpress, Amazon, eBay, Joom, and Temu - sold illicit products in France. But none of those suspended their marketplaces, and the government has not targeted them to the same extent as Shein.

In a hearing earlier this month, lawyers for Shein argued that its is facing discriminatory treatment and that there was a "crusade" against it by politicians and the media.

France has in recent weeks pushed European authorities to crack down on Shein as well, calling for a formal investigation under the EU law governing online platforms.

The European Commission requested further information ‍from Shein on illegal products but stopped short of opening an investigation.