The War on Porn Regular Updates about the Assault on The Adult Industry
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It’s one thing for a brand to go viral for its prices — it’s another to land under government investigation. France’s Finance Minister, Roland Lescure, just put fast-fashion giant Shein on notice after a watchdog found “child-like” sex dolls being sold on the site. Reuters broke the story, and Lescure didn’t mince words: he called the products “illegal.”
He went even further. “For terrorist acts, drug trafficking, and child pornography, the government has the right to request banning access to the French market,” he said. The threat hit just as Shein opened its first permanent retail store — a glitzy shop in central Paris inside the historic BHV department store. It’s the kind of irony that writes itself.
But this isn’t just about one brand. French regulators are now investigating whether Shein — along with Temu, AliExpress, and Wish — has allowed minors to access pornographic content through their platforms. That’s not just scandalous; it’s illegal. The country’s age-verification laws are strict, and these platforms may have crossed the line.
France’s consumer watchdog, the Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, issued an advisory explaining that “the e-commerce site Shein was selling child-like sex dolls.” They didn’t sit on it — the listings were reported to a public prosecutor.
The agency added that “these activities have been reported to ARCOM, the competent regulatory body in this area, and, in agreement with the public prosecutor, a report has been filed with the platform, urging it to implement appropriate measures promptly.” In other words, this is no warning shot — it’s an official escalation.
Quentin Ruffat, Shein’s head of public affairs in France, tried to strike a cooperative tone when speaking to local radio, as reported by Reuters. He said the company was sharing information with investigators, including the names of vendors and buyers.
“We are in the process of sacking all the offending vendors from the platform,” Ruffat said. Meanwhile, Lescure confirmed he’d submitted a report to ARCOM, noting that Shein qualifies as a “very large online platform” under the European Union’s Digital Services Act — meaning, yes, it’s squarely in the regulators’ crosshairs.
AliExpress, another major e-commerce player, isn’t escaping scrutiny either. It’s being investigated for allegedly distributing pornographic images or depictions of minors — a charge that can lead to five years in prison.
It’s worth remembering that these platforms — Shein, AliExpress, Temu — are backed by massive Chinese corporations, while Wish belongs to a Singaporean parent company. They’ve built empires on accessibility and affordability. But as France is reminding them now, there’s a line between disruption and disregard — and crossing it can get very expensive.
