French Authorities Investigate Vinted Over Alleged Links to Adult Content
The second-hand clothing platform Vinted is currently under investigation in France. This action follows reports that certain user accounts on the platform have been directing visitors to external pornographic content.
Vinted, a Lithuania-based company with 23 million users in France, operates without an age-verification procedure. This raises concerns regarding potential exposure of minors to explicit material.
Company Response and Allegations
In response to the allegations, Vinted issued a statement asserting a "zero-tolerance policy regarding unsolicited communications of a sexual nature or the promotion of sexual services." The company further stated that "all inappropriate and illegal content is removed, and where necessary we take measures against users, including blocking them definitively from our site." Vinted indicated that it is addressing the situation "very seriously."
The reports initially surfaced from French media, detailing instances where sellers displaying photographs of swimwear or lingerie allegedly used these listings to redirect viewers to personal pages on adult platforms, such as OnlyFans. France's Children's Rights Commissioner, Sarah El-Haïry, confirmed she has requested the watchdog Arcom to examine these allegations.
Broader Regulatory Actions in France
This investigation into Vinted is part of a wider regulatory effort by French authorities concerning global e-commerce platforms. Warnings have previously been issued to companies including Shein (headquartered in Singapore), AliExpress, Temu, and Wish, following the appearance of products like childlike sex dolls in their marketing listings or available items.
Paris prosecutors are currently examining whether Shein, AliExpress, Temu, and Wish have breached French laws pertaining to violent, pornographic, or 'undignified' content accessible to minors. Specifically, Shein and AliExpress are under investigation for the alleged dissemination of child-related pornographic material, with these cases referred to the Paris Office des Mineurs, which specializes in offenses involving child protection.
Shein has since announced a global ban on the sale of all sex dolls on its platform and stated it is permanently blocking seller accounts linked to such items. The French consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), previously indicated that descriptions of certain dolls left "little doubt as to their child-pornography nature."