The eBay platform has in turn become the target of investigations into the sale of illegal products

Trade Minister Serge Papin stated, in mid-November, that sales of “category A weapons, such as brass knuckles and machetes”, had been detected, such as on Wish, Temu and AliExpress.

After Shein, AliExpress, Temu and Wish, the fifth site is within reach of justice. American online sales platform eBay has in turn become the target of an investigation after being reported by the government for the sale of illegal products, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced on Tuesday, November 25.

In mid-November, after the outbreak of the scandal surrounding Shein, the Minister of Trade, Serge Papin, mentioned new reports about the online sales platform to the court. Regarding eBay, the minister stated it had detected, as on Wish, Temu and AliExpress, sales “Category A weapons, such as brass knuckles and machetes”. Asked in mid-November by AFP, eBay assured it would continue “works tirelessly to prevent the sale of prohibited items on its platform” and “cooperates” with “French regulatory authorities on this matter”.

The scandal emerged in early November after Fraud Repression announced that it had reported to court the marketing of child pornographic sex dolls by Asian e-commerce giant Shein. In early November, the Paris prosecutor’s office said it had entrusted four investigations to the Office for Minors (Ofmin), across four platforms (Shein, AliExpress, Temu and Wish).

In the government’s view, the Shein platform was summoned on Wednesday morning before a Paris court, which must decide on the suspension of the site in France after the discovery of the sale of child-like sex dolls and category A weapons. Shein’s managers were summoned on December 2 before the sustainable development committee of the National Assembly.