The French government will ask a Paris court to impose a three-month nationwide suspension of Chinese fast-fashion platform Shein, following the discovery of childlike sex dolls and prohibited weapons offered for sale on the site, according to a finance ministry official cited by Reuters.
Shein has taken down its marketplace function in France – the section of the platform where third-party vendors list products – as of 5 November 2025, after authorities identified the contentious items.
However, the main part of the website that sells Shein’s own clothing lines remains available to French consumers.
Officials are now pursuing an emergency judicial procedure to extend the suspension to the entire site. Their goal is to compel the company to strengthen its product oversight mechanisms.
The Paris judiciary is scheduled to examine the government’s fast-track request on Wednesday, 26 November.
Infinite Styles Services, the Dublin-based entity that runs Shein’s European operations, has been summoned to appear, along with the company’s legal representatives.
The government’s legal argument is based on Article 6.3 of France’s digital economy law, which allows judges to order measures intended to prevent or stop harm caused by online content.
The court will need to determine whether a full suspension is justified and whether such an order would comply with European Union rules.
Under EU law, online marketplaces are generally not held directly responsible for illegal items sold by independent merchants, but they are required to remove such products once they become aware of them.
"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 finance ministry official told reporters at a briefing.
A decision is expected in the coming weeks.
Shein did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
The French authorities have also called on major internet service providers Bouygues Telecom, Free, Orange and SFR to attend the hearing, and have asked them to block access to Shein’s website in France.
Founded in China in 2012 and now headquartered in Singapore, Shein operates both its own clothing line and a marketplace for third-party sellers.
