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AliExpress bans Chinese sex doll seller after Reuters investigation

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AliExpress bans Chinese sex doll seller after Reuters investigation


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Reuters

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November 26, 2025

Alibaba‘s AliExpress said it has banned a China-based seller of childlike sex dolls from its marketplace after a Reuters examination of whether the sale of the products complied with European Union and US laws.

An influencer visits the AliExpress pop-up store in London, Britain, November 11, 2025 – REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Reuters first alerted AliExpress to the listings on November 14, when the company said it would remove them as a precaution but that the dolls did not breach its policies because they were of rigid construction with no sexual function. However, in a subsequent statement to Reuters on November 25, AliExpress said it had “decided to permanently close down this seller because of their dishonesty on this serious matter.”

Reuters identified four listings of dolls resembling minors that were on sale in Europe and the US through AliExpress in the week after Paris prosecutors said both it and online retailer Shein were being investigated for disseminating images or representations of minors of a pornographic nature. In interviews, four lawyers said the images found by Reuters on AliExpress included features commonly associated with child sexualisation, including school uniforms and infantile expressions.

The products were offered by Guava Dolls, whose seller page on the AliExpress marketplace showed it as being based in China’s Shandong province. Guava Dolls did not respond to multiple requests for comment made via email and social media.

“We discovered the seller was dishonest in their communications with us. The seller repeatedly denied ever selling sex toys on any platform,” AliExpress said. AliExpress said the seller had admitted, after being confronted with screenshots sent by Reuters, that it accepted customised orders on other platforms and as a result had been permanently closed down.

AliExpress, Shein, and Temu face heightened regulatory obligations under Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) because of their designation as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs). A European Commission spokesperson told Reuters it was “carefully monitoring AliExpress’ compliance with the DSA.”

AliExpress told Reuters that in future it would further involve third parties to help monitor its platform. The French investigation was triggered by a consumer watchdog spotting childlike sex dolls on Shein’s marketplace.

AliExpress told Reuters after the probe was announced on November 4 that it had removed similar listings and that sellers who violated its policies would be penalised. Shein said it had sanctioned the sellers of the dolls, implemented a worldwide ban on sex dolls on its site and temporarily suspended its marketplace in France.

Under its rules, AliExpress says content must not be sexually explicit or harmful to minors, and its listing policies ban “any items depicting or suggestive of sex involving minors.” It had initially said that the products were “anime dolls” aimed at fans of Japanese animation rather than sex dolls. 

Guava Dolls’ account on X has been posting sexually explicit photos of the dolls since 2023, with links to AliExpress. AliExpress declined to comment on those links.

In some European countries, including France, Germany and Britain, selling or facilitating access to childlike suggestive dolls is deemed illegal, irrespective of their functionality. National consumer protection bodies often classify such items as akin to images of sexual abuse under child protection laws.

The lawyers shown the listings on AliExpress by Reuters said they breached national and EU rules. “The doll’s size, its very clear sexual characteristics and suggestive lingerie make it a sexual object rather than a toy,” said Christine Cerrada, a lawyer and legal adviser for French child protection group L’Enfance au Coeur. The dolls were listed for sale in EU countries including France, Spain and Italy, as well as the US and Britain.

Europe’s DSA requires online consumer marketplaces to undertake due diligence on products being sold on their platforms and to remove or block access if they become aware of illegal content.  L’Enfance au Coeur’s Cerrada said the dolls emphasised characteristics that would classify them as inappropriate and likely unlawful under the DSA, which was introduced in 2022 with the aim of preventing illegal and harmful activities online.

EU lawmakers debated whether the DSA “effectively prevents the sale of such illegal products” on November 12 and are due to vote on a resolution to strengthen online safety rules on November 26. 
The resolution is expected to call on the Commission and EU member states to step up checks on products entering the bloc, according to the European Parliament’s website.

US regulation of childlike sex dolls is governed by state laws. Congressional and state filings show Arizona, Utah, Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee, Texas, Hawaii, Louisiana and Wisconsin are among the states enacting legislation targeting their sale, import, or possession.

© Thomson Reuters 2025 All rights reserved.



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Chanel debuts A$AP Rocky as ambassador, with Margaret Qualley teaser video

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Chanel debuts A$AP Rocky as ambassador, with Margaret Qualley teaser video


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November 30, 2025

Chanel has appointed A$AP Rocky as a new brand ambassador and debuted his tenure with a teaser video shot in New York co-starring Margaret Qualley.

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The video appeared Sunday just 48 hours before Chanel’s couturier Michel Blazy will stage his debut collection of Métiers d’Art also in New York. It’s a unique line first created by Karl Lagerfeld that highlights the unique stable of artisans Chanel has assembled in such skills as embroidery, pleating, glove-making and costume jewelry.
 
Directed by Michel Gondry, the 2.49-minute short opens with the stars waking up in the bed of a walkup apartment in Williamsburg. Where, after a quick peck on her lover’s forehead, Qualley disappears into a tiny bathroom, before magically changing out of her blue nightie and reappearing in a red, white and blue houndstooth Chanel jacket, paired with pale blue pants, her hair in a chignon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=live

Chanel

No sooner than she has disappeared, than A$AP leaps out of bed and descends the tenement building’s outside steel stairs and sets off on a mad dash after Qualley. This leads to him swimming under the Brooklyn Bridge, and running north through the Lower East Side, before finally catching up with Qualley at Astor Place station. All the action backed up my moody ambient music courtesy of Le Motel.
 
In between, the rapper and husband of Rihanna, manages to find time to stop in two discount stores to acquire pants and a blazer. Arriving just in time, to genuflect onto one knee, and hold out a small white Chanel box, containing one assumes a diamond engagement ring, at the station entrance. The sight of which leads the actress to leap into the air in paroxysm of joy, before the happy couple march arm and arm back into the subway.
 
And off one assumes to attend the Métiers d’Art show, which will be revealed on Tuesday, 8 p.m. NYC time.
 

Copyright © 2025 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.



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Canada’s Lululemon revamps commercial strategy with new global leader

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Canada’s Lululemon revamps commercial strategy with new global leader



lululemon athletica inc. (NASDAQ:LULU) announced that Celeste Burgoyne, President of the Americas and Global Guest Innovation, has decided to leave the company for a new opportunity outside of the industry. She will remain with lululemon until the end of December 2025 to ensure a smooth transition.

Ms. Burgoyne joined lululemon in 2006 and became the company’s first President in 2020. Throughout her tenure, she has assumed roles of increasing responsibility and led the North America business through periods of rapid growth and expansion.

Lululemon Athletica has announced that Celeste Burgoyne, president of the Americas and global guest innovation, will leave at the end of December 2025 after 19 years with the brand.
The company will consolidate regional leadership and has appointed André Maestrini as president and chief commercial officer, giving him global oversight of stores, regions, digital channels and commercial strategy.

“We are grateful for Celeste’s leadership and significant contributions to lululemon’s business and culture over the past 19 years. She has been instrumental in growing our footprint in the Americas, creating high-quality guest experiences, and mentoring our teams across the organization,” said Calvin McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, lululemon. “I deeply appreciate her partnership and friendship, and we wish her all the best in the future.”

“My time at lululemon has been both inspiring and rewarding beyond belief,” said Ms. Burgoyne. “I am so proud of what we have accomplished as an organization since I joined in 2006 and know the team will take the company to even greater heights in the years to come. I look forward to continuing to support the brand as a lifelong fan.”

In conjunction with this announcement, lululemon has made the decision to consolidate regional leadership across the company and appoint André Maestrini as President and Chief Commercial Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Maestrini will continue to report directly to Mr. McDonald.

In this newly created role, Mr. Maestrini will provide integrated oversight of all of lululemon’s regions, stores, and digital channels globally. He will also oversee lululemon’s global commercial strategy with a focus on continued market expansion, revenue generation, and accelerating best practice sharing, across all regions including North America.

Mr. Maestrini joined lululemon in 2021 as Executive Vice President of International. In his current role, he has overseen lululemon’s operations in EMEA, APAC, and China Mainland, and has helped to more than quadruple lululemon’s international revenues.

“André has demonstrated a proven ability to unlock opportunities, advance our global expansion, and deliver growth across multiple markets,” said Mr. McDonald. “Leveraging operational discipline, deep guest insights, and extensive brand-building experience, André is the ideal person to lead our business across all markets, including North America, as we remain focused on delivering value for our guests, employees, and shareholders.”

Before joining lululemon, Mr. Maestrini spent 14 years at adidas in various senior roles across the globe. During this time, he served in a number of General Manager positions where he helped grow the company’s global sports categories and regional markets. Prior to adidas, Mr. Maestrini held marketing roles at The Coca-Cola Company, Danone, and Kraft Jacobs Suchard.

Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)



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India’s growth expected to be robust despite external headwinds: IMF

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India’s growth expected to be robust despite external headwinds: IMF



Despite external headwinds, India’s economic growth is expected to remain robust, supported by favourable domestic conditions, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), whose executive board recently completed the Article IV Consultation for the country.

Under the baseline assumption of prolonged 50-per cent US tariffs, India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to grow at 6.6 per cent in fiscal 2025-26 (FY26) before moderating to 6.2 per cent in FY27, the IMF said.

The reform of the goods and services tax (GST) and the resulting reduction in the effective rate are expected to help cushion the adverse impact of tariffs.

Despite external headwinds, India’s growth is expected to be robust, backed by favourable domestic conditions, the IMF has said.
Assuming prolonged 50-per cent US tariffs, FY26 real GDP may grow at 6.6 per cent before moderating to 6.2 per cent in FY27.
Further deepening of geo-economic fragmentation could lead to tighter financial conditions, higher input costs and lower trade, FDI and economic growth.

Headline inflation is projected to remain well contained, reflecting the one-off effect of the GST reform and continued benign food prices, it remarked in a release.

Looking ahead, India’s ambition to become an advanced economy can be supported by advancing comprehensive structural reforms that enable higher potential growth, the IMF noted.

There are significant near-term risks to the economic outlook. On the upside, the conclusion of new trade agreements and faster implementation of structural reform domestically could boost exports, private investment and employment.

On the downside, further deepening of geo-economic fragmentation could lead to tighter financial conditions, higher input costs and lower trade, foreign direct investment (FDI) and economic growth.

Unpredictable weather shocks could affect crop yields, adversely impact rural consumption and reignite inflationary pressures, the IMF added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)



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