France Declares 2026 as Year of Resistance Against E-commerce Giants

French Minister for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, Serge Papin, declared 2026 as a pivotal year in the fight against e-commerce giants such as Shein. He criticized these platforms for their lack of accountability for the products they offer, highlighting discrepancies when compared with physical stores.

In light of this, the French government is contesting a December court decision that denied a three-month suspension of Shein. This action follows public outrage over improper items like childlike sex dolls being sold. French authorities see this as a chance to strengthen their crackdown on such practices.

Papin revealed that lawmakers are formulating a legislative bill that would empower the government to suspend online platforms without needing direct court consent, thereby tightening regulatory controls over e-commerce activities in France.