{"id":12524,"date":"2026-02-17T19:56:49","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T19:56:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=12524"},"modified":"2026-02-17T19:56:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T19:56:49","slug":"eu-opens-probe-into-online-global-retailer-shein-after-sex-doll-scandal-retail-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/?p=12524","title":{"rendered":"EU opens probe into online global retailer Shein after sex-doll scandal | Retail News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"\">\n<p class=\"article__subhead\"><em>Investigation to focus on e-commerce platform\u2019s internal systems overseeing the alleged sale of illicit goods and \u2018addictive design\u2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><button class=\"article-listen-container\" aria-labelledby=\"listen-text listen-duration\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-button\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"article-listen-container__text\" data-testid=\"listen-to-article-text\">Listen to this article<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"article-listen-container__duration\">3 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--main-grey-dark icon--16 listen-to-article-tooltip__icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"byline byline--single-avatar\">\n<div class=\"avatars-container\">\n<div class=\"responsive-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&amp;quality=80 96w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 96px) 96px, 96px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 17 Feb 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">17 Feb 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>The European Commission launched an investigation into online retail giant Shein over its sale of child-like sex dolls, weapons, and the \u201caddictive design\u201d of its service.<\/p>\n<p>The probe announced on Tuesday comes after an uproar in France in November when the country\u2019s consumer watchdog said it discovered childlike sex dolls on Shein\u2019s website that left little doubt as to their \u201cpaedophilic nature\u201d.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 4 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>After the attention from French authorities, the commission \u201csuspects that Shein\u2019s system may pose a systemic risk for consumers across the entire European Union\u201d, it said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:22px\">The commission\u2019s formal proceedings under the Digital Services Act (DSA) allow it to continue gathering evidence, conduct interviews, and request information from Shein or third parties, it said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>The sweeping DSA legislation, adopted in 2022, aims to protect consumers and combat the spread of illicit goods and services across the EU.<\/p>\n<p>Singapore-based Shein, which was founded in China, said the company would cooperate with the investigation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p2\">\u201cWe share the commission\u2019s objective of ensuring a safe and trusted online environment and will continue to engage constructively on this procedure,\u201d it said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>The commission said it previously sent Shein three requests for information about the presence of illegal goods on its marketplace and recommender system.<\/p>\n<p>Its most recent request in late November specifically asked for details about the sale of childlike sex dolls and weapons, including internal documents explaining how the platform \u201censures that minors are not exposed to age-inappropriate content\u201d, and \u201chow it prevents the circulation of illegal products on its platform\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4100461\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4100461\" style=\"width:770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-arc-image-770 wp-image-4100461\" src=\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2025-11-05T132714Z_1138552387_RC2CQHA42AXI_RTRMADP_3_SHEIN-FRANCE-1762903625.jpg?w=770&amp;resize=770%2C513&amp;quality=80\" alt=\"Protesters hold placards which reads &quot;Fast fashion, slow justice. Free Uyghurs, boycott Shein. Buying Shein is condoning and becoming complicit in this genocide&quot; during a protest inside the first physical space of November 5, 2025 [Sarah Meyssonnier\/Reuters]\" fetchpriority=\"low\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4100461\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A protest inside the first Shein physical space in Paris, France, last November [File: Sarah Meyssonnier\/Reuters]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"impunity-must-end\">\u2018Impunity must end\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>The new investigation arrives as regulators and governments across Europe, the United States, and South Asia turn their attention to major tech platforms accused of spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material and other criminal content.<\/p>\n<p>This month, French police raided the Paris offices of X and summoned its billionaire owner Elon Musk as they conduct a probe into allegations of biased algorithms, fraudulent data extraction, and pornographic imagery, prosecutors said.<\/p>\n<p>In a separate action on Tuesday, the Spanish government ordered prosecutors to investigate social media \u2060platforms X, Meta, and TikTok for sexualised content.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe state \u2060cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end,\u201d Prime Minister \u200cPedro Sanchez said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">Other DSA probes are being conducted into Chinese online retailer AliExpress and social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Investigation to focus on e-commerce platform\u2019s internal systems overseeing the alleged sale of illicit goods and \u2018addictive design\u2019. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a03 mins info Published On 17 Feb 202617 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The European Commission launched an investigation into online retail giant Shein over its sale of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}