'Is this a protest or a side hustle?' France cracks down on online resale of looted goods

As sweeping protests across France descended into arson, violence and looting, one sector found itself enjoying an unexpected windfall: online secondhand trading platforms.

According to multiple media reports including Reuters on Sunday (local time), suspicious listings surged on resale platforms after protesters smashed the display windows of luxury stores and made off with high-end goods. Cosmetics, perfumes and bags suspected to have been stolen from luxury boutiques — including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior and Celine — began appearing on secondhand platforms at prices far below retail.

Rare collectibles also turned up online in the aftermath of the unrest. In the northern city of Lille, a fire broke out at a shop specializing in collectible Pokémon cards, and hundreds of cards were later found scattered in the street. Some, still bearing price tags, were subsequently listed for sale on Vinted, an online secondhand platform.

French esports organization Team Vitality also had its offices ransacked during the unrest, with trophies and computer equipment among the items taken. A listing then appeared on eBay offering what appeared to be one of the stolen trophies for 1,250 euros ($1,400).

The French government moved swiftly in response. According to Politico, French digital authorities convened an emergency meeting at around 7 p.m. that day with representatives from Vinted, eBay, Amazon, Meta, TikTok and other online platforms. Authorities demanded that the platforms remove listings suspected of offering stolen goods and discussed how platforms and law enforcement could cooperate to identify and prosecute those attempting to sell looted items.

Serge Papin, the minister for small and medium-sized enterprises, told reporters that day that authorities were "working out a coordination framework between law enforcement and online platforms" to identify those posting suspicious listings. Anne Le Hénanff, France's minister for digital affairs, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that "we are demanding these platforms remove the relevant listings without delay," adding that they "must work closely with public authorities to identify and prosecute those reselling potentially stolen goods."

Some platforms had already taken preemptive action. Vinted said it had stepped up monitoring of listings since the weekend and had removed those suspected of involving stolen goods. A Vinted spokesperson said that "selling stolen goods or encouraging others to buy stolen goods is strictly prohibited on the platform," adding that the company applies "a zero-tolerance policy on this issue."