Paris appeals court rejects France’s attempt to suspend Shein’s marketplace
The French state had found obscene dolls and banned weapons for sale on the retailer’s website
Published Thu, Mar 19, 2026 · 09:25 PM
[PARIS] France’s bid to suspend Chinese online retailer Shein’s marketplace was rejected by Paris’ Court of Appeal on Thursday (Mar 19). This is a win for the fast-fashion giant, after a scandal over sex dolls resembling children was found for sale on its site.
The French state initially pushed for a total ban of the retailer’s site, but later walked that back to a suspension of its marketplace. A December 2025 court ruling had already rejected the government’s request, but the government appealed.
Shein sells clothes, gadgets and accessories at rock-bottom prices, and has won over millions of cash-strapped shoppers around the world.
Shein has been under pressure in France since November 2025, when the consumer watchdog found sex dolls as well as banned weapons for sale, prompting the government’s legal action.
Shein sells its own branded clothes on its site, but also has a vast marketplace where third-party sellers list products, spanning everything from kitchen appliances to smartphones.
It suspended its marketplace in France after the findings, reopening it only after the December ruling.
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“The appeals court confirmed the judgment in all its dispositions, and rejected the other demands presented by the State,” the court said in a statement.
The court upheld the earlier ruling that Shein may not sell such products on its marketplace again, without adequate age-verification measures.
Rolling out age-verification measures
Since the findings in France, Shein no longer allows third-party sellers to list sex dolls in any of its markets, and is rolling out age-verification measures for other products, a Shein spokesperson said.
After Thursday’s ruling: Shein said: “Over the last several months, we have continued to significantly reinforce our controls for both sellers and products on our marketplace.
“(This is) to ensure that our consumers in France can enjoy a safe and enjoyable online shopping experience.”
The company said it has maintained a “close dialogue” with the French and European authorities, and that it was working with the European Commission to gradually roll out age-verification measures across a number of markets globally.
In February, the European Union opened a formal investigation into Shein over illegal products and the platform’s potentially addictive design, under the bloc’s Digital Services Act.
Despite the court ruling, the company is still likely to face government pressure in France.
The country’s minister for small and medium-sized businesses said in February that online retailers such as Shein will face a “year of resistance”, saying that the platform benefits from unfair competition with European retailers. REUTERS
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