BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) – After a scandal involving the sale of sex dolls and weapons, the EU Commission is demanding information from the low-cost online retailer Shein. There are indications from the French authorities that illegal goods are being offered on the online marketplace and that the provider could therefore pose a “systemic risk” for consumers in the EU, said a spokesman for the Brussels authority.
The Commission is now asking the platform to provide detailed information and internal documents on how it protects minors from inappropriate content and prevents the sale of illegal products, according to a statement.
The basis for the request for information is the Digital Services Act (DSA). Among other things, it is intended to ensure that platforms remove illegal content on their sites more quickly than before. In turn, it is made easier for users to report such content. In principle, large providers have to follow more rules than small ones.
It is the third time that the EU has requested information from Shein. As a next step, the Commission could open proceedings against the company. The law only provides for a suspension of online platforms as a last resort, said the EU Commission spokesman.
Companies in France under pressure
Shein is already under massive pressure in France from the government, which has initiated several proceedings against the online platform and is threatening to block the site in France. At the beginning of the month, Shein opened its first permanent retail space in France. The opening was particularly explosive because it became public shortly beforehand that the online retailer was offering sex dolls with children’s looks and also weapons that required approval in France.
At the European level, France had called on the EU Commission to investigate and take tough action against Shein./tre/DP/stw