MEPs push DSA probes into Shein AliExpress and Temu over illegal content risks
EU lawmakers have urged the European Commission to open Digital Services Act investigations into Shein, AliExpress, and Temu, following French criminal probes into those platforms, and Wish over the sale of “child-like sex dolls.” In a letter coordinated by MEP Stéphanie Yon-Courtin and signed by over 40 MEPs across political groups, the Commission is pressed to ensure such products can never be purchased in the EU. The French consumer watchdog’s alert prompted prosecutors to act, escalating the issue from national enforcement to potential EU-level scrutiny.
The letter questions whether the Commission will initiate formal DSA proceedings into the sale of material of a “pedopornographic nature” and how it will operationalize DSA obligations to prevent listing or sale of such products. MEPs emphasize that offering child-like sex dolls online constitutes enabling child abuse and urge immediate market removal. The Commission has confirmed it is engaging with relevant stakeholders and national authorities, including France, and views the findings as particularly concerning.
Under the DSA, very large online platforms must conduct due diligence, including assessing and mitigating systemic risks tied to illegal content and harms to minors. The case tests the DSA’s enforcement tools: notice-and-action, risk assessments, mitigation measures, trusted flaggers, and potential interim actions. It also spotlights the interface between criminal law at national level and regulatory compliance at EU level, especially where illegal products target minors.
MEPs further ask whether the Commission can request EU-wide suspensions of commerce platforms in case of repeated or systemic violations, mirroring the French Economic Minister’s warning that France may consider banning Shein if infractions persist. The Commission is being urged to make full use of DSA powers to ensure swift removal, prevent relisting, and deter repeat violations, reinforcing the DSA’s child protection and illegal content framework across cross-border marketplaces.
