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E-commerce platforms including these four major platforms are currently under investigation in France for the charge of allowing minors to view adult material on their platforms, the French judicial authorities declared on this Tuesday.

The nation's consumer watchdog had reported the companies to the legal authorities on Sunday after expressing worries about the availability of youth-resembling adult toys on Shein's platform during the weekend.

The Paris prosecutor's office clarified that the websites are being investigated over graphic, explicit or “undignified” content that can be accessed by minors.

AliExpress stated that it views the issue very seriously. These companies have also been contacted for comment.

Expanded Probes and Company Reactions

Shein and AliExpress are also under investigation over the distribution of material involving minors that are of a explicit type, the authorities said.

The issues have been handed over to a specialized police unit, the legal body noted. This division is an arm of the national police that oversees the protection of young people.

AliExpress asserted that the items in question violated its rules and were removed once it became aware of them.

"Merchants discovered to break or attempting to evade these policies will be disciplined in compliance with our regulations," the company stated in a statement.

On this Monday, Shein confirmed it had prohibited the sale of all sex dolls on its platform internationally. The Singapore-based company also said that it would permanently block all seller accounts involved in the prohibited distribution of the youth-resembling products and set more rigorous measures on its website.

Consumer Watchdog Assessment and Broader Background

The regulatory authority, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, had said that the sex dolls' product information and categorisation left "minimal uncertainty as to the exploitative character" of the products.

The examination of the platform occurs while the company, which was established in China, makes arrangements for the launch on this Wednesday of its inaugural permanent brick-and-mortar store in France.

Activists have been spotted gathered in outside the Paris department store where the company is planned to establish the store.

The firm plans to open shops in further France's retail chains in urban centers like these regional hubs.