Military chiefs have cut all ties with a Chinese-owned online marketplace after a Sun investigation revealed a security risk to squadrons’ personal data.
The Ministry of Defense’s official discount service offered discount codes on its website for Temu, an e-commerce giant that sells products at very low prices.
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The offer was available to the armed forces, their families and veterans, despite fears that the megastore had links to the Chinese state and “specialized in data theft”.
Temu is also under investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data watchdog, after a recent campaign offered money in exchange for personal information.
The revelation provoked fury in Parliament, as around 270,000 British armed forces payroll records were allegedly accessed by Chinese hackers.
The Ministry of Defense contractor that runs the site has decided to remove the Chinese app’s offerings with “immediate effect” due to “concerns raised.”
The decision was made after The Sun consulted with the Ministry of Defense.
MPs and peers are now urging the government and Parliament’s intelligence watchdog to launch an immediate investigation into Temu and the Blue Light Card contractor.
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “This is yet another Chinese app attracting people to its website that needs to be investigated.
“The United Kingdom and other Western countries are in China’s sights.
“All so-called private companies have to hand over data to the Chinese Communist Party when they request it.
“In fact, sites like Temu are data collectors for the Chinese state.
“Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden should launch such an investigation now.”
Crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool said the revelation was “deeply disturbing”, adding: “More is needed than an internal inquiry and I have contacted the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee asking them to bring the private contractor responsible for protecting this data to a parliamentary hearing to urgently establish how such a dangerous lapse in national security occurred.”
He added: “It is unbelievable that reduced price discounts can be offered by companies with links to the Chinese communist regime. It specializes in data theft and will use that data to threaten our national security.”
Shadow Defense Secretary John Healey also said: “The Sun deserves a big helping hand for spotting that the Ministry of Defense was still promoting this e-sales site even after the major hack of Armed Forces personal data.
“The MoD’s data security record is worsening, while threats against the UK continue to rise. Ministry of Defense data breaches have tripled in the last five years. Ministers must ensure these gaps in our cyber security are addressed.
“The next Labor government will put Britain’s safety first.”
A Ministry of Defense spokesperson said: “These reports are misleading.
“The Ministry of Defense does not select companies that offer discounts.”
A Defense Discount Service spokesperson also said: “Our members are always our first priority and given the concerns raised, we have removed the offer with immediate effect whilst we review the allegations made against Temu.”
Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings, is based in Dublin but conducts its operations in China through subsidiaries, which are subject to Chinese law law.
There is no evidence that they provided data to the Chinese government, but the country’s national security laws oblige companies to share information when requested.
A spokesperson for Temu said: “We have not been informed of the Blue Light Card decision or the statements attributed to them. We are currently investigating this matter to establish the facts. Temu remains committed to engaging professionally and seriously with all partners and continues to focus on serving our customers.
“It is important to highlight that Temu does not have direct relationships with Blue Light Card or Defense Discount Service. The facilitation of discount codes was managed by an external marketing agency as part of the broader affiliate program structure. This affiliation relationship began in February and did not generate significant participation.”
The spokesperson also insisted that they have never provided user data to the Chinese government and “nor would we if asked.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
