France to take legal action against AliExpress: Here's why

France to take legal action against AliExpress: Here's why

France has filed legal complaints against popular e-commerce platforms such as AliExpress and Joom, over the sale of childlike sex dolls.

The move was announced by French Commerce Minister Serge Papin on Wednesday.

He described these online marketplaces as a "digital wild west," highlighting their role in selling such inappropriate items.

France's stance on online marketplaces

Papin emphasized that these platforms are selling "child pornography dolls," and the French government is taking legal action to protect children, teenagers, and consumers.

The complaints have been filed against AliExpress, a subsidiary of Chinese tech giant Alibaba, and Latvia-based Joom.

This move is part of a broader effort by France to tackle illegal content on online marketplaces.

Other platforms under investigation

French investigators also discovered disturbing childlike sex dolls and other illegal items such as machetes, brass knuckles, and pornographic content on the same websites.

Temu, Wish, and eBay are also being investigated for selling banned or dangerous products.

The move comes as part of France's efforts to protect its market from countries like China and the US.

EU launches investigation into Shein

The European Union has also launched an investigation into SHEIN for potentially violating EU rules by selling childlike dolls and weapons.

Officials warned that SHEIN could pose a "systemic risk" to consumers across Europe and may face heavy fines in the future.

In response to these allegations, SHEIN said it has improved its checks and wants to cooperate with authorities.