People protest against the sale of child-like sex dolls by Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein during a demonstration in front of the Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville, Le BHV Marais department store, ahead of the opening of Shein's fast fashion first permanent shop in Paris, France, November 3, 2025. The slogans on placards read "Shame on Shein!", "Shein is complicit in child pornography" and "BHV, your shop window shouldn't hide this shame". REUTERS/Abdul Saboor
LONDON (Reuters) -France's crackdown on Shein over childlike sex dolls and banned weapons is exposing a perennial problem of online marketplaces: failing to properly police third-party sellers and block sales of counterfeit, illegal, dangerous or simply offensive products.
Online marketplaces - platforms that let multiple vendors display and ship their goods globally - have surged over the past decade, with Amazon, Alibaba, Temu and Shein generating massive revenues by offering consumers a seemingly endless array of low-cost products.
