- EU regulators are investigating suspected illegal products on Shein.
- Officials are also examining the platform’s design and recommendation systems.
- A ban remains a last resort if the company fails to comply with rules.
The EU investigation into Shein has formally begun, with regulators looking into multiple suspected breaches of European laws, including concerns over illegal products and the design of the fast-growing online retail platform. The European Commission said it opened the inquiry after requesting information from the company last year, raising questions about whether the marketplace is doing enough to prevent harmful or non-compliant items from being sold.
Officials have pointed to reports of clothing, cosmetics and electronics that may not meet EU standards, alongside more serious concerns around the sale of items such as childlike sex dolls and weapons, which have triggered wider scrutiny of the platform’s controls.
Questions over safety and transparency
The investigation is expected to focus on three main areas, including whether Shein’s systems are properly designed to prevent illegal products from appearing on the site. A senior EU official reportedly said, as quoted in a news report, that there is a suspicion the platform may not be effectively built to avoid such sales, adding that “there is still a lot there so something is probably not working”.
Regulators are also examining what they describe as potentially addictive features of the platform, including rewards programmes, gamification and bonus points that could pose risks to users’ mental wellbeing. The company’s recommendation systems are also under review, with officials suggesting they may overwhelm users with product suggestions and may not meet transparency requirements under the Digital Services Act.
Under the rules, platforms must offer at least one recommendation option that is not based on profiling. Officials reportedly said, as quoted in a news report, that Shein had explained how its system works only in very general terms.
Shein said it takes its obligations under the Digital Services Act seriously and is cooperating fully with the European Commission and Ireland’s media regulator, which is leading the investigation. The company said it has invested in risk assessments, safeguards for younger users and measures aimed at improving compliance and safety.
Wider scrutiny across Europe
The EU probe comes months after French authorities examined the legality of certain products on the platform, including concerns over access to adult content by minors. In a Paris court hearing in December, a lawyer for the state reportedly said, as quoted in a news report, that the company must introduce stronger controls such as age verification and filtering.
French officials had previously considered suspending the platform after controversy over certain products, though the court later said the sales appeared sporadic and noted that the items had been removed. The court nevertheless issued an injunction preventing the sale of sexual products that could be considered pornographic without age checks.
EU officials said the current investigation is separate from national probes and focuses on how the system operates overall rather than individual incidents. A senior official reportedly said, as quoted in a news report, that events in France are only “a piece of the puzzle”.
The Commission first requested information from Shein in April 2024 and said the company considers its service to be at low risk of breaching rules, while regulators believe the risk is higher. EU justice commissioner Michael McGrath reportedly said, as quoted in a news report, that he was shocked by the potential dangers posed by some products, including items that could pose choking or safety risks.
Officials said the new investigation does not automatically mean the platform will be banned, though blocking sales in Europe remains a last resort if the company fails to comply with regulations.
