Business
France investigates Shein and Temu after sex doll scandal
Online retailers Shein, Temu, AliExpress and Wish are being investigated in France in relation to the offence of enabling minors to access pornographic content on their platforms, the Paris prosecutor said on Tuesday.
The country’s consumer watchdog had reported the four firms to the prosecution service on Sunday after raising concerns about the sale of childlike sex dolls on Shein’s platform over the weekend.
The Paris prosecutor’s office told the BBC that the platforms are being investigated over violent, pornographic or “undignified messages” that can be accessed by minors.
AliExpress told the BBC it takes the matter very seriously. Shein, Temu and Wish have also been contacted for comment.
Shein and AliExpress are also under investigation over the dissemination of content related to children that are of a pornographic nature, the office said.
The cases have been referred to Paris’ Office des Mineurs, the prosecution service added. The office is an arm of the French police force that oversees the protection of minors.
AliExpress said the listings in question violated its policies and were removed once it became aware of them.
“Sellers found to violate or trying to circumvent these requirements will be penalised in accordance with our rules,” AliExpress said in a statement.
On Monday, Shein said it had banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform worldwide. The Singapore-based retailer also said that it would permanently block all seller accounts related to the illegal sale of the childlike dolls and set stricter controls on its platform.
The French consumer watchdog, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control, had said the sex dolls’ description and categorisation left “little doubt as to the child pornography nature” of the products.
The scrutiny of Shein comes as the company, which was founded in China, prepares for the opening on Wednesday of its first permanent physical outlet in France.
Protesters have been seen gathered in front of the Paris department store where Shein is set to open the outlet.
Shein plans to open outlets in other French department stores in cities including Dijon, Reims and Angers.
Millions could be entitled to compensation as a result of commission arrangements between lenders and dealers.
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New Delhi: The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has deactivated more than 2.5 crore Aadhaar numbers of deceased persons till date. This is as part of a nationwide clean-up effort to maintain the continued accuracy and integrity of the Aadhaar database, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Shri Jitin Prasada in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Aadhaar is the world’s largest biometric identity system with approximately 134 crores live Aadhaar holders.
In case of the death of a person, it is essential that his/her Aadhaar number is deactivated to prevent potential identity fraud, or unauthorized usage of such Aadhaar number for availing welfare benefits.
The State / UT mentioned in the address of an Aadhaar number holder in the Aadhaar database may vary from the State / UT where death was registered.
Measures to prevent potential identity fraud
Government has said that several measures have been taken to reduce the risk of identity fraud and ensure leak-proof delivery of benefits in the country.
The key measures include:
Biometric Lock/Unlock feature enables an Aadhaar number holder to “Lock” his biometrics, preventing any unauthorized authentication attempts.
Aadhaar Lock/Unlock feature for an Aadhaar number holder.
Deployment of Face Authentication having ‘Liveness Detection feature’ to prevent spoofing and ensure the physical presence of the beneficiary during transactions.
Offline Verification: Promotion of Aadhaar Secure QR Code, Aadhaar paperless offline e-KYC, e-Aadhaar and Aadhaar verifiable credentials for offline identity verification.
No sharing of Core Biometric information of Aadhaar number holders in any manner by UIDAI.
Secure Data Storage: Mandatory use of Aadhaar Data Vaults by all requesting entities to store Aadhaar numbers in an encrypted format.
Database Sanitization: Regular de-duplication and deactivation of Aadhaar numbers belonging to deceased persons.
Updation of demographic details of an Aadhaar number holder is allowed only as per documents listed by UIDAI.
UIDAI has launched a new Aadhaar app which facilitates sharing of verified credentials by Aadhaar number holder with the Offline Verification Seeking Entities (OVSE) in a secure and seamless manner.
New Delhi: February 2026 brings a series of important deadlines related to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) that taxpayers and deductors should not overlook. From issuing TDS certificates to submitting mandatory statutory forms, these compliance dates play a key role in ensuring smooth and accurate tax reporting. Businesses, employers, and government offices must stay alert and complete the required filings on time to avoid penalties or complications under the Income-tax Act. Keeping track of these dates can help ensure hassle-free compliance and prevent last-minute stress.
February 14:
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194-IA for tax deducted on transfer of immovable property in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194-IB for tax deducted on rent paid by individuals or HUFs in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194M for tax deducted on contractual or professional payments made in December 2025.
– Deadline for issuing TDS certificate under Section 194S for tax deducted on transfer of virtual digital assets by specified persons in December 2025.
February 15:
– Deadline for government offices to furnish Form 24G where TDS/TCS for January 2026 was deposited without generating a challan.
– Deadline for issuing the quarterly TDS certificate for non-salary payments for the quarter ended December 31, 2025.
Japan manufacturing sector rebounds in Jan, strongest since Aug 2022
India’s Mafatlal Industries’ 9-month revenue climbs 25.9%
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