The recent controversy over Shein selling child-like sex dolls in France has drawn attention to a long-standing issue with global online marketplaces: insufficient oversight of third-party sellers and the proliferation of prohibited, counterfeit, or dangerous products. The French government has moved to ban Shein’s sale of such dolls and certain weapons, exposing vulnerabilities in e-commerce platforms.

The Scale of Online Marketplaces

Online marketplaces such as Shein, Amazon, AliExpress, and Temu allow multiple vendors to display and ship goods globally, generating massive revenues by offering consumers millions of low-cost items. Shein, for example, lists an estimated 10 million individual products on its website, with the majority from third-party vendors, rather than Shein’s own brand.

E-commerce analysts note that many of these products are never manually reviewed. “It’s just a massive catalog from all sorts of manufacturers and sellers, and things you will find are things no person at Shein has manually reviewed to be on the site,” said Juozas Kaziukenas, a New York-based e-commerce expert.

Content Moderation Efforts

In response, Shein says it screens product listings to flag prohibited goods and policy violations. The company uses a combination of automated detection tools and a workforce of over 900 employees globally dedicated to content moderation. Amazon has made similar statements regarding efforts to prevent prohibited products from being sold by third-party sellers.

However, advocacy groups argue that enforcement is insufficient. Sylvia Maurer, director of advocacy coordination at the European consumer organization BEUC, said:

“Because marketplaces are not policing the products all the time, you can find lookalikes or even the same products being sold under a different name again, very briefly after they’ve been taken down. It’s a little bit like fighting windmills.”

Legal Accountability and EU Regulations

Under current European Union law, marketplaces are not considered the “deemed importer” of goods and are therefore not liable for illegal products sold by third-party vendors. Consumer groups are pushing for regulatory reforms to hold platforms accountable. Gabriela da Costa, a partner at law firm K&L Gates in London, noted that many foreign suppliers exploit this loophole, operating with minimal oversight and no EU-based entity.

French authorities are actively investigating Shein, Temu, AliExpress, and Wish for alleged violations, including minors accessing pornographic content through their platforms. The crackdown reflects broader concerns over the surge of low-cost Chinese products entering the EU.

Surge in Low-Value E-Commerce Imports

Some 4.6 billion low-value e-commerce parcels were imported into the EU in 2024, double the number in 2023, as platforms ship items directly from Chinese factories without paying customs duties on packages under €150. French officials have intensified scrutiny, with customs authorities inspecting 100,000 low-value parcels at Charles de Gaulle airport.

French officials emphasize that the sex doll scandal is just one extreme example of broader risks. Gabriela da Costa explained:

“The everyday situation we’re dealing with is, for example, a cream that’s not exactly the real deal but looks legitimate.”

The Cultural and Regulatory Backdrop

France, particularly Paris, is increasingly frustrated with the influx of counterfeit handbags, cosmetics, and other illicit products. French officials, including Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Budget Minister Amelie de Montchalin, have stressed the need for stronger enforcement against unsafe or illegal imports.

Former WTO General Secretary Pascal Lamy highlighted the difficulty of regulating marketplaces:

“It’s like social networks — you can’t say ‘I know nothing about what’s in my pipe.’ The platform is responsible for oversight, even if they claim it’s a mistake.”

Looking Ahead

The Shein sex doll controversy underscores the challenges facing global e-commerce: balancing massive online inventories, third-party seller freedom, and consumer safety. The case may accelerate policy changes in the EU to ensure marketplaces are more accountable for products sold on their platforms.