Paris Summons E-commerce Platforms Over Child Pornography Dolls
French High Commissioner for Childhood, Sarah El-Haïry, has initiated a significant crackdown on e-commerce platforms following the alarming discovery of child pornography dolls being sold on Shein. This action aims to ensure that such violations of child safety do not occur again.
Response to Child Pornography Dolls
The investigation was sparked by reports of sexually explicit dolls that resemble children being sold on the popular e-commerce site. While Shein claims to have removed these products from its platform, El-Haïry insists that simply taking them down is inadequate. She emphasizes the need to trace the suppliers and understand the approval processes that allowed these items to be sold in the first place.
Accountability of E-Commerce Platforms
- El-Haïry described platforms that sell such items as complicit in the crime.
- She suggested further discussions with Shein to obtain purchase records of individuals who bought the dolls in France.
- These purchases were made using credit cards, leading to home or office deliveries.
The High Commissioner made it clear that these dolls are not merely pornographic; they are categorized as child criminal objects, which are illegal under French law. She stated, “It is unacceptable for marketplaces to sell child criminal objects,” illustrating the severity of this issue.
The Impact of Child Pornography
El-Haïry highlighted that possession of child pornography can lead to more severe criminal actions. She plans to summon all major e-commerce platforms operating in France to reassess their selling practices. According to her, many platforms exploit loopholes to evade prosecution by not providing complete descriptions of the items.
These platforms often include images without explicitly stating that the product is a sexual doll. Such tactics, El-Haïry argues, waste time and endanger children. The French government is taking a firm stand against any attempts that compromise child safety, reinforcing their commitment to eradicate child pornography online.
