The EU on Tuesday, February 17, opened an investigation into the online retail giant Shein over the sale of childlike sex dolls and what it called the platform’s “addictive design.” Shein came under greater scrutiny in November after French authorities condemned the giant for featuring sex dolls resembling children.
The probe is the European Commission’s first into Shein under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU’s mammoth law that aims to counter the spread of illegal content and goods online. The European Commission said it was investigating the sale of illegal products “including child sexual abuse material” and would look at the “lack of transparency” of Shein’s recommender systems.
Shein, founded in China in 2012 but now based in Singapore, said it would continue to cooperate with the commission. “We share the commission’s objective of ensuring a safe and trusted online environment and will continue to engage constructively on this procedure,” Shein said in a statement. Following the uproar in France, Shein said it immediately removed the products and banned sex dolls from its site globally, regardless of appearance.
Pedophiles like Epstein do it BECAUSE it is forbidden and torturous to the victims. Others I’m sure have those feelings and try not to act on them, feel shame instead. The former would not care for these dolls, the latter might.
Personally, I feel things like these dolls do sexualize children and enable feelings of pedophilia. Considering that latter group of pedophiles, I could see it being damage control that prevents harm to real children. Maybe they could be a tool that is only available when prescribed to pedophiles in treatment.