Face “Wild West” e-commerce platforms, the government is doubling down on procedures to align them: Shein appeared before a Paris court on Wednesday, November 26, and the State is preparing to take AliExpress and Joom to court.
For the Asian giant Shein, the State, through its lawyers, demanded the suspension of the site in France for at least three months and its reopening under certain conditions. If not expected by Wednesday, a court decision should be made in the coming days.
After the discovery of the sale of child-like sex dolls and category A weapons on the Shein website on October 31, the State stepped up procedures against the company, including summons to court, which led to the company going on trial on Wednesday.
According to the criminal code, the sale of child pornographic content is punishable by seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 euros. The absence of checks on minors, such as the sale of weapons, is punishable by three years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros.
Wednesday’s procedure was not “not an end in itself”explained the Ministry of Economy on Tuesday, the government as a whole was participating “marching orders” oppose “systemic recurrence of violations” from Shein and other platforms.
The same procedure of summoning to court the government wants to use against two other platforms, AliExpress and Joom, for “selling child pornography dolls”, Trade Minister Serge Papin announced on TF1 on Wednesday.
A summons to court is an action that allows a dispute between two parties to be formally referred to a civil judge. This makes it possible to notify a person or related entity that legal proceedings have been initiated against them.
This procedure will start “in the next few days”the minister’s office told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Difficulties related to the purchasing power of the French people
According to government spokesperson Maud Bregeon, “The aim is not to oppose trade for the sake of opposing trade. We also know that many French people order on this platform” which offers low cost products.
The government says it is aware of the difficulties related to the purchasing power of French people, but wants this to happen “products for sale” on this platform is “legal” And “obedient”.
The government tried to dismiss Shein through administrative procedures in early November. Therefore, the group has withdrawn the alleged products and taken the further step of suspending all sales made on its French site by third-party sellers, its marketplace (or “market”), as well as those that do not include clothing. The first “victory”according to the government.
