The EU on Tuesday opened an investigation into the online retail giant Shein over the sale of childlike sex dolls and what it called the platform's "addictive design".
Shein came under greater scrutiny in November after French authorities condemned the giant for featuring sex dolls resembling children.
The probe is the European Commission's
first into Shein under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU's mammoth law that aims to counter the spread of illegal content and goods online.
The European Commission said it was investigating the sale of illegal products "including child sexual abuse material" and would look at the "lack of transparency" of Shein's recommender systems.