A French court has rejected the government’s request to temporarily suspend the website of fast-fashion giant Shein, ruling that such a measure would be disproportionate given the circumstances surrounding the case.
The decision, delivered by the Paris judicial court on Friday, December 19, followed a request from French authorities to block the platform for three months over the sale of illegal and harmful products.
Among the items identified on Shein’s French marketplace were weapons, banned medications, and childlike sex dolls, which authorities said posed serious risks to public order and consumer safety.
The government argued that suspending the platform was necessary to prevent further violations and urged that Shein only be allowed to resume operations under strict new monitoring conditions.
In its ruling, the court acknowledged that the presence of such products constituted a “serious harm to public order,” but emphasized that the sales were sporadic rather than systemic.
Judges noted that Shein had removed the offending products once they were flagged, and that the platform hosts several hundred thousand items, most of which were not implicated in the proceedings.
As a result, the court declined to order a blanket suspension of the site or its third-party marketplace, describing the government’s request as excessive in light of the corrective steps already taken.
However, the ruling was not without conditions. The court issued an injunction barring Shein from resuming the sale of sexual products that could be considered pornographic unless effective age-verification measures are implemented.
Shein has acknowledged difficulties in enforcing reliable age checks for such items, leading the company to keep its adults-only sexual category closed for now, both in France and globally.
The controversy over childlike sex dolls, which surfaced publicly in November, has intensified scrutiny of Shein’s content moderation and product oversight mechanisms.
Despite the favorable ruling, Shein’s lawyers said the platform’s marketplace would not immediately return to full operation, instead reopening gradually as compliance measures are reinforced.
The French government reacted swiftly, announcing its intention to appeal the court’s decision in the coming days, citing broader concerns about Shein’s business model.
In a statement to AFP, officials said they were “convinced of the systemic risk” associated with the platform and emphasized that the appeal was made at the request of the prime minister.
The case reflects growing unease across Europe over the rapid expansion of non-European e-commerce platforms and their compliance with local consumer protection and safety rules.
In November, the European Commission requested formal information from Shein as part of a wider effort to assess whether large online marketplaces are meeting their obligations under EU law.
While such requests do not automatically imply wrongdoing, they can lead to investigations and potential fines if violations are established.
European retailers have also raised concerns, arguing that overseas platforms benefit from unfair advantages by shipping low-value goods that bypass certain customs duties and regulatory checks.
Earlier this month, EU finance ministers agreed to impose a €3 duty on low-value imports from July 2026, targeting the surge of small parcels ordered through platforms like Shein.
French authorities say the Shein case highlights the challenge of regulating vast digital marketplaces that rely heavily on third-party sellers operating across borders.
As the appeal process unfolds, the ruling underscores a delicate balance between protecting public order and avoiding measures that could unduly restrict access to lawful commerce.
For now, Shein remains operational in France, but under intensified scrutiny that signals tougher oversight ahead for global e-commerce giants operating in Europe.