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E-commerce platforms featuring these four major platforms are now being probed in France for the charge of permitting underage individuals to obtain pornographic content on their services, the French judicial authorities declared on Tuesday.

The country's regulatory body had reported the four firms to the legal authorities on this past Sunday after expressing alarms about the marketing of youth-resembling sex dolls on the Shein website during the weekend.

The Paris prosecutor's office explained that the platforms are being examined over graphic, adult or “undignified” content that can be seen by underage users.

One of the platforms commented that it considers the matter very seriously. These companies have also been reached out to for comment.

Expanded Probes and Company Statements

Shein and AliExpress are additionally being examined over the distribution of information related to children that are of a explicit type, the agency said.

The matters have been referred to the French minor protection office, the prosecution service explained. This office is an section of the national police that manages the safeguarding of minors.

The platform asserted that the products in question contravened its rules and were taken down once it learned of them.

"Merchants found to break or trying to circumvent these requirements will be sanctioned in line with our rules," the company stated in a statement.

On this Monday, Shein announced it had banned the selling of all sex dolls on its platform globally. The headquartered in Singapore retailer also stated that it would permanently block all vendor profiles associated with the prohibited sale of the childlike products and set tighter measures on its platform.

Consumer Watchdog Observations and Wider Scenario

The national consumer agency, the consumer protection directorate, had said that the products' product information and categorisation left "little doubt as to the illicit nature" of the items.

The examination of the retailer comes as the business, which was established in China, makes arrangements for the inauguration on Wednesday of its first long-term brick-and-mortar store in the French Republic.

Demonstrators have been seen assembled in outside the Paris shop where Shein is set to unveil the location.

Shein intends to launch stores in further France's retail chains in locations including Dijon, Reims and Angers.