BRUSSELS — The European Commission has sent a formal request for information to e-commerce site Shein after child-like sex dolls and weapons were sold on the platform. The Chinese platform has been suspended in France as of Nov. 5, after child-like sex dolls were found on the online shopping site. Later investigations also revealed weapons and other illegal products, leading to calls for the EU to step up its scrutiny. The Commission is the primary supervisor of Shein under its powerful Digital Services Act, the EU law designed to limit the risks of online platforms to users. Shein is classified as a Very Large Online Platform with over 45 million users. The Commission has the power under the DSA to initiate probes that can lead to fines of 6 percent of its annual global turnover, although none have been levied thus far. The request for information doesn’t signal the opening of an investigation, but it shows the Commission is looking into potential non-compliance. “The Commission is now formally asking the platform to provide detailed information and internal documents on how it ensures that minors are not exposed to age-inappropriate content, in particular through age assurance measures, as well as how it prevents the circulation of illegal products on its platform,” the EU executive said today. Shein did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The European Parliament is today expected to call for stricter protections for consumers under EU law in response to the child-like sex doll controversy. A Paris court was set to hear a case on Shein’s suspension in France today but that was delayed to Dec. 5. The French authorities are moving forward with investigations into two other platforms, AliExpress and Joom, minister of commerce Serge Papin said today. EBay, Temu and Wish are also under scrutiny in France.

PARIS — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu launched a procedure Wednesday to suspend Shein after a series of controversies involving the Chinese-founded online fast-fashion platform. In a statement, France’s economy ministry said the suspension would last until the platform demonstrates “that all its content complies with our laws and regulations.” It’s unclear if the suspension applies to Shein’s digital operations, the brick-and-mortar store that opened its doors Wednesday or both. A report from France’s consumer watchdog put out over the weekend alleged that “sex dolls with childlike appearances” were being sold by Shein. Earlier Wednesday, conservative lawmaker Antoine Vermorel Marques filed a legal complaint, telling daily Le Parisien that he had identified weapons being sold on the website. France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure, and the Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Serge Papin will issue an “initial progress report” within the next 48 hours, the statement said. Earlier this week, Shein’s executive chairman, Donald Tang, told POLITICO that the firm created an “integrity panel” to review what products are sold on the platform and launched an internal inquiry. This article was first published by POLITICO in French and translated by Victor Goury-Laffont. Nicolas Barré contributed reporting.

BRUSSELS — European Union politicians should not lose their nerve amid U.S. attacks against the EU’s digital rulebooks, Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen told POLITICO in an interview Wednesday. Virkkunen also mounted a defense against criticism from European Parliament lawmakers that she’s not vocal enough in her support of the EU’s tech rules — the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act — in the face of continued attacks from the U.S. administration. “I have been working all the time on these topics. But of course, people, they have very different personal styles, I think,” she said. “It’s important to stay calm, even if there are different kinds of attacks against this legislation,” she continued. “We are fully enforcing the rules all the time and everybody can be ensured on that.” The Trump administration and allies in the tech sector have launched repeated attacks on EU regulation, calling the DSA “Orwellian” and accusing the bloc of censorship. President Donald Trump in August threatened to “impose substantial additional Tariffs” and stop selling hardware to countries with digital rules he deems discriminatory. Shortly after, Green European Parliament lawmaker Kim van Sparrentak criticized Virkkunen’s performance in a briefing with reporters. “Where’s Virkkunen?” she asked rhetorically. “As soon as Trump threatens, you don’t hear anything at all,” she said. German Greens lawmaker Alexandra Geese also criticized Virkkunen. “It would be very much appreciated if the Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty of the European Commission could fight for European democracy,” she posted on LinkedIn right after Trump’s threats. Virkkunen on Wednesday reiterated the Commission’s line that the EU’s tech rulebooks are not part of trade talks with the U.S. “We want to make sure that we have a democratic, fair and safe environment in the digital world and we are committed to continue on this part. Our rules are not part of trade negotiations,” she said. Yet the EU’s top envoys are on Wednesday evening set to discuss the remaining hurdles to be resolved with the U.S. in trade talks amid fresh asks from the U.S. administration, which could include further pressure on the EU’s digital rulebooks. Virkkunen said the Commission has a clear agenda in enforcing its tech rules — protecting elections and democratic processes, protecting against fraud in online shopping, protecting kids online, and combating financial scams. European Parliament lawmakers will discuss the enforcement of the EU’s digital rules with Virkkunen during the Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg Wednesday afternoon. Camille Gijs contributed to this report.