Investigation to focus on e-commerce platform’s internal systems overseeing the alleged sale of illicit goods and ‘addictive design’. Listen to this article | 3 mins info Published On 17 Feb 202617 Feb 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share The European Commission launched an investigation into online retail giant Shein over its sale of child-like sex dolls, weapons, and the “addictive design” of its service. The probe announced on Tuesday comes after an uproar in France in November when the country’s consumer watchdog said it discovered childlike sex dolls on Shein’s website that left little doubt as to their “paedophilic nature”. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list After the attention from French authorities, the commission “suspects that Shein’s system may pose a systemic risk for consumers across the entire European Union”, it said in a statement. The commission’s formal proceedings under the Digital Services Act (DSA) allow it to continue gathering evidence, conduct interviews, and request information from Shein or third parties, it said. The sweeping DSA legislation, adopted in 2022, aims …