The French government has failed in its attempt to implement a nationwide ban on the digital marketplace offered by Chinese ecommerce company Shein, as reported by Reuters.

In a victory for controversy-engulfed Shein, an appeals court based in Paris confirmed that the platform won’t be banned in France.

This decision comes after French lawmakers launched an appeal when, in December, a different Paris-based court denied them a Shein ban.

French ministers are seeking to shut down Shein’s marketplace in France after it was revealed in November that third-party sellers were selling illegal products on the platform.
The illegal products in question included childlike adult toys and weapons.

The firm has also come under scrutiny for the apparent addictive nature of its platform, which uses gamification features that convince customers to buy products and which European regulators fear may negatively impact customers’ mental health.

Regulators have also questioned whether Shein is being open enough about its product recommendation system.

While the China-based company is predominantly known for mass-producing Shein-label clothes and selling them at an affordable price point, its marketplace can be used by any global seller.

Despite deciding not to allow a France-based ban on this marketplace, the Paris Court of Appeal has reconfirmed the other court’s December ruling to compel Shein to put a stop to the sale of illegal products on its marketplace.

In a statement published by Reuters, the court said that it had “confirmed” all aspects of the ruling made in December and that it would not be approving “the other demands presented by the State”.

Whatever the case, Shein has stopped selling adult products over the sex doll controversy and has agreed to implement age verification measures for its other product categories. Still, its France-based legal woes are unlikely to vanish overnight as the French minister handling SMEs promised a “year of resistance” against companies like Shein.

Shein responded to the latest French court ruling with the following statement: “Over ⁠the last several months, we have continued to significantly reinforce our controls for both sellers and products on our marketplace, to ​ensure that our consumers in France can enjoy a safe and ​enjoyable online ⁠shopping experience.”

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