The French Government is set to request a Paris judge to order the suspension of Shein in the country for three months on Wednesday (26 November) regarding sales of childlike sex dolls and banned weapons, according to a finance ministry official.
The fast fashion giant has already disabled its marketplace since 5 November, following the French Government’s discovery of the dolls and weapons being sold on the website.
However, the part of the site selling Shein’s own clothes range can still be accessed.
The French Government is seeking to secure a three-month suspension of the retailer’s entire website, Reuters reported. The court of Paris is expected to launch a hearing on Wednesday (26 November) on the accelerated judicial procedure the Government has started.
Infinite Styles Services Co Ltd, the business behind Shein’s arm in Europe, will be summoned for the hearing, while lawyers for the group are also expected to attend.
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The French case rests on Article 6.3 of the digital economy law, which enables a judge to prescribe measures with the intent of preventing or halting harm caused by online content.
The court will need to determine whether a suspension is warranted and whether it is in line with European Union law.
In a press briefing, a Finance Ministry official said: “We know how powerful Shein is from a technical standpoint, and even, I would say, in terms of its use of artificial intelligence for production, so we can assume that it has the technical, technological and financial means to carry out these checks. The fact is that it does not do so.”
A ruling is anticipated during the coming weeks, according to the official.
Retail Gazette has contacted Shein for comment.
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