EU probes Shein over sale of illegal products, addictive design
- The European Commission opened formal DSA proceedings on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, launching a probe into Shein's EU operations after preliminary analyses.
- Following last year's French findings, authorities uncovered child-like sex dolls and illegal weapons on Shein's site, while its Paris store opening sparked protests and gathered more than 120,000 petition signatures.
- Brussels will examine whether Shein's `addictive design`, recommender systems transparency, and safeguards against illegal products including child sexual abuse material meet EU rules.
- If breaches are found, the European Commission can impose interim measures, accept commitments, or levies fines up to 6% of global annual turnover; it will carry out in‑depth investigation measures with no fixed deadline and a final decision could come this year.
- The probe signals intensified policing of low-priced Chinese imports that Brussels says pose consumer dangers and complements EU consumer-law enforcement, with a final decision possible this year.
141 Articles
141 Articles
Shein under investigation in EU over illegal products and addictive online design features
European Union regulators are investigating Shein over concerns the online retailer hasn't done enough to limit the sale of illegal products or protect users from the platform's allegedly addictive design.
The European Commission has launched a formal investigation against the Chinese online trading platform "Shein".
The European Commission formally investigates the Chinese Shein platform for its addictive design and for the online sale of illegal products in the European Union - like dolls...
After the scandal about sex dolls with a childish look, the EU Commission is launching a formal case against online retailer Shein.
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