The European Union has launched an investigation against the Chinese Shein, which was selling sex dolls 0 10

The investigation was prompted by allegations of manipulative platform design, opacity of recommendation algorithms, and the sale of illegal goods – in particular, sex dolls resembling children. "In the European Union, illegal goods are prohibited – regardless of whether they are on a store shelf or sold on an online marketplace," noted Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty.

Due to the presence of illegal goods, the Chinese online store has already been banned in France.

The Irish regulator has also been involved in the investigation as the supervisory authority of the country where Shein is registered in the EU.

Before the investigation began, the European Commission sent the company requests for compliance with DSA requirements three times – in June 2024, February, and November 2025. Based on the preliminary analysis of the responses received, a decision was made to open proceedings.

The Commission has the authority to initiate investigations that could lead to fines of up to 6% of the company's global annual turnover, although such sanctions have not yet been applied.