French Child Protection Chief Challenges Vinted Over Minors' Access to Adult Content

France's child protection agency head, Sarah El Hairy, has urged an investigation into second-hand clothing platform Vinted over minors' exposure to adult content, highlighting broader moves against e-commerce giants. Concerns over minors accessing inappropriate material are part of France's larger efforts to regulate foreign e-commerce platforms.

Sarah El Hairy, the chief of France's child protection agency, has called for an investigation into the second-hand clothes marketplace Vinted. This comes amid allegations that minors on the platform could access adult content. The move is part of a broader crackdown on e-commerce giants operating in France.

In a Sunday interview on French TV channel France 3, El Hairy disclosed that some Vinted classified ads allegedly redirected users, including minors, to pornographic websites. She emphasized the inherent risk to children, stating, 'Where there are children or teenagers, there are predators.' In response, Vinted asserted its strict policy against any form of sexual communication or promotion of sexual services on its platform.

The French government is taking measures against large foreign e-commerce companies to safeguard local businesses. These platforms, like AliExpress, Temu, Shein from China, and eBay, Amazon from the U.S., are perceived to threaten French retailers with unfair competition. This regulatory push aligns with EU's recent initiatives to impose customs duties on low-value parcels from foreign platforms.

(With inputs from agencies.)