Fast fashion giant Shein is being investigated over the transfer of customers' data to China

THE DATA PROTECTION Commission (DPC) has opened an investigation into online retailer Shein over the transfer of customers’ personal data to China.

DPC announced the investigation into Shein’s European hub Infinite Styles Services today. 

In a statement the DPC said the investigation concerns “transfers of personal data of EU/EEA data subjects to China”. 

They are examining whether Shein Ireland has breached European GDPR requirements under Articles 5 and 13 of the law.

They are also investigating if this transfer meets the requirements set out by GDPR around data transfer to countries outside Europe.

Article 5 lays out that personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently, while Article 13 lays out the information that must be provided to the data subject.

Shein Ireland was informed about the investigation last Thursday, 30 April.

In a statement today, the retailer said: “We take our data protection obligations extremely seriously and are fully committed to complying with the GDPR and all applicable data protection laws.”

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“Ensuring the security of our customers’ personal data is a top priority for our business” the statement continued.

Shein said they have been “actively engaging with the DPC in recent months on our data protection approach, including a number of important ongoing initiatives that reflect our commitment to maintaining the highest standards in data handling”.

“We look forward to presenting that work as part of this process” the statement concluded.

Speaking about the investigation Deputy Commissioner Graham Doyle said: “When an individual’s personal data is transferred to a country outside the EU, the GDPR requires that this personal data is afforded essentially the same protections as it would within the EU.”

“Recent regulatory action by the DPC, together with complaints to other European supervisory authorities, has brought data transfers to China in particular into focus,” he continued.

Doyle said DPC plans to “cooperate closely with our peer European Supervisory Authorities as part of the investigation”.

In December the European Commission opened an investigation into Shein over the sale of childlike sex dolls and what it called the platform’s “addictive design” under the Digital Services Act (DSA). 

Shein came under greater scrutiny last November after French authorities condemned it for featuring sex dolls resembling children.

Shein has its European headquarters in Dublin.

The company was founded in China in 2012 but is now based in Singapore.

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