EU Investigates Shein Over ‘Addictive Designs’ and Sales of Childlike Sex Dolls

The investigation is the latest in a series of actions the EU has taken that affect Chinese-owned tech and e-commerce firms.

A Shein pop-up store at a mall in Singapore, on April 4, 2024. Edgar Su/Reuters

The European Union has opened an in-depth investigation into online fashion retailer Shein over the sale of illegal items and what it calls the Chinese-owned platform’s “addictive design.”

The probe, announced on Feb. 16 by the European Commission, marks the bloc’s first formal proceeding against the company under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of sweeping online regulations that governs nearly all corners of the digital ecosystem, from e-commerce platforms to social media networks.