EU lawmakers have asked the Commission to open probes into ecommerce platforms Shein, AliExpress, and Temu under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) after French authorities opened investigations into the three platforms – and a fourth, Wish – over the sale of “child-like sex dolls”.
In a letter on Tuesday, addressed to the Commission and seen by Euractiv, lawmakers have drafted written questions about the sex doll scandal – warning that “given the gravity and urgency of the situation, the Commission must ensure that no such products can ever be purchased again”.
French prosecutors opened investigations on the four platforms on Monday evening after concerns were raised by the national consumer watchdog.
The MEPs’ letter, which has been prepared by French liberal lawmaker Stéphanie Yon-Courtin, is signed by more than 40 lawmakers from various political groups, her office told Euractiv.
“Selling child-like sex dolls means making child abuse available online,” Yon-Courtin told Euractiv. “It’s a disgrace,” she said and added that they should “immediately disappear” from European markets. MEPs have asked whether the Commission intends to launch formal DSA investigations into the sale of “material of a pedopornographic nature”. They have also asked how the Commission will ensure that the DSA prevents the listing or sale of such products in the EU.
[…]
The real child abuse is in the Shein supply chain, will the French authorities investigate that too? Or are they busy protecting the feelings of dolls?
IDK what to think about it. I don’t really see the “gravity and urgency of the situation” given that no actual children are involved. The whole “it drives pedophiles to act out their fantasies in real life” argument is too close to the “violent videogames cause people to be violent” argument for my taste. I also feel like the whole outrage is used by the French government as a distraction tactic for their own failings. There are way worse things happening on the internet that need to be tackled.
On the other hand I would still prefer if those shops didn’t sell them, so people don’t accidentally stumble upon them. But demanding Shein give out the identities of people who purchased these dolls is way out of line IMO, as I don’t believe they’ve committed any crimes.
Here is another image. There are more on the web.
What would you say if such dolls are offered in a shop around the corner? This is insane. It is impossible that these ‘products’ have been made by mistake. It has been manufactured intentionally.
It must be said over and again: This platforms must be shut down.
Don’t need to see it, thanks… Why link them? Like I said, I’d also prefer for these to be out of the general view. It’s distasteful, but that’s also all it is for me, I don’t see it as criminally relevant. Keep them in spaces where people who actively seek them out can buy them and I don’t care. If you disagree with Temu and Shein publicly selling them (as do I), don’t ever buy from them at least as long as they sell them.
While all that is gaining traction, there is tons of actual CSAM on the internet, which law enforcement purposefully doesn’t delete. Don’t you think that should be tackled first? I don’t think we have our priorities straight here.
LOL, have a look at what was posted, totally tame. I poked around last night and found some horrifying shit. This is not that.
True, those don’t even look anything like children.
Sure that’s the pic you wanted? Because I looked last night and found some heinous shit, nothing like that pic. Hell, my wife’s 54 and is the flatter version on doll second from right; Asian, hair color, all that.
Not going to post what I found, anyone curious can see for themselves, but what you posted isn’t even slightly offensive to me.
Reposting again, hoping to get someone to completely agree with you?
It would be nice if we put as much effort and resources into actually researching and treating the root cause (MAP sufferers) as we did criminalising victimless behaviour which is a symptom of the issue.
In America, GOP lawmakers have collectively opened a probe into the best way to purchase them.
