The French government is intensifying its crackdown on major online marketplaces, adding AliExpress and Joom to legal challenges already underway against Shein. This escalation follows concerns over the sale of illegal and potentially perilous goods-including reports of pedopornographic dolls-through these platforms, prompting officials to seek suspensions and pursue judicial complaints. the move signals a broader regulatory push to safeguard consumers and level the playing field for traditional retailers in the face of rapidly expanding e-commerce from Chinese companies.
The French government is expanding its legal challenges to online marketplaces, targeting AliExpress and Joom following action against Shein. The move comes amid growing concerns over the sale of illegal and dangerous products through these platforms.
Following action against Shein, the platforms AliExpress and Joom are now facing legal action from the French state. “There will be a judicial complaint against these two platforms by the state, as they also sell pedopornographic dolls,” Commerce Minister Serge Papin announced Wednesday, November 26, on TF1 television.
The government had previously taken legal action against Shein, and a hearing is scheduled for the same day where the state will request a three-month suspension of the platform.
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“A Long Battle”
“We need to put an end to the digital Wild West,” Papin stated, acknowledging that “this is a battle, and it will be a long one” against the Chinese platforms accused of disregarding French regulations by flooding the market with illicit, substandard, and sometimes dangerous products.
The government’s objective is twofold, aiming to also protect traditional commerce threatened by these new platforms. “We need to introduce a degree of protectionism,” Papin conceded. The minister also criticized those who defend these platforms based on their low prices benefiting modest consumers, calling them “false apostles of purchasing power!”
The escalating actions reflect a broader effort by French authorities to regulate online marketplaces and protect consumers from harmful products. This case highlights the challenges governments face in policing the rapidly expanding e-commerce landscape.
