TEMU users were left terrified when a new lawsuit alleges the app is using “dangerous malware” to spy on their phone.
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin filed the lawsuit Tuesday that outlines Temu’s alleged “unfettered access” to users’ confidential information.
But Temu says he is “surprised and disappointed” by the lawsuit – calling the allegations “unfounded”.
Temu offers mega discounts on a huge range of products sourced from Chinese warehouses and factories.
Its popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the shopping app being crowned the most downloaded free app on the App Store and Google Play a few years ago, Times reports.
But now an alarming new lawsuit claims that Temu sells items at such a low price in exchange for your private information.
Attorney General Tim Griffin says customers are unaware that the app discreetly collects personal data from multiple apps on their devices.
The lawsuit alleges that once a customer downloads the app onto their device, it bypasses the data privacy settings users have set and proceeds to collect data.
This may include biometric information from the user’s device, such as fingerprints.
Not only that, but Temu allegedly makes a profit by selling the data to third parties, potentially making it obvious why the items are so cheap.
But the alleged spying may not just be happening to buyers – their contacts could be victims too.
In fact, the lawsuit outlines that individuals who “engage in electronic communications” with Temu users via text or email may have their confidential conversations “subject to collection.”
The lawsuit says: “It is a data theft business that sells products online as a means to an end.
“Temu was purposely designed to gain unrestricted access to a user’s phone operating system, including but not limited to the user’s camera, specific location, contacts, text messages, documents and other applications.”
But Temu claims the allegations are “based on misinformation circulating online, mainly from a short seller, and are completely unfounded”.
They also promise to “vigorously defend themselves” in the case.
Temu is owned by PDD Holdings, which the lawsuit calls “a Chinese company subject to Chinese law.”
It is further alleged that Chinese law requires the company to cooperate with China’s national intelligence agencies by providing them with data labeled as “security interest”.
This may include data obtained from Temu buyers.
The lawsuit comes after some Britons became concerned that the app was not safe or trustworthy.
Mum-of-four Jade Brogden told The Sun she furnished her daughter’s bedroom for just £50 using the app.
The 27-year-old costume designer, from Mirfield, West Yorks, bought marine-themed blankets, stuffed animals, photos, stickers, lights, decorations and other decorations and said: “If I had bought everything from a store in Britain I would have I paid almost £300.”
But Jade expressed concern about the app’s apparent ability to spy on her.
She said: “One day I was talking about needing a new sofa and suddenly my social media feeds were flooded with adverts for Temu sofas.
“But Temu launched at a time when people like me desperately need bargains. It’s so useful that I feel like I can’t help but use it.”
Everything there is to know about Temu
By Millie Turner | Senior Technology and Science Reporter
The online megastore is now taking on Amazon – but is the Chinese copycat site as safe or trustworthy?
Is Temu a legit website?
The site is legit because customers generally get what they order, but there are some problems.
Goods can take weeks to arrive at your door.
According to the Better Business Bureau, an American non-profit organization, most Temu customer complaints are due to long delivery times, low-quality items, and poor customer service.
“They’re making delivery promises and people aren’t getting their stuff when they should,” Melanie McGovern, the Bureau’s director of public relations and social media, told TIME in December.
However, Temu will process refunds within 7 days of receiving users’ return package – so customers aren’t completely ripped off if they’re unhappy with their products.
There have been no complaints alleging that the goods sent by Temu are counterfeit or fake.
But there is growing concern among customers and onlookers that the app is being used to collect data for the Chinese government.
This data can be used to create profiles that companies can use to produce better targeted ads – and make more sales.
But this can potentially be used for more sinister purposes, such as blackmail and espionage.
Professor Sarah Morris, a digital forensics expert at the University of Southampton, said: “The more places that have and share their data, the more people can build a bigger profile, and this can lead to consequences in terms of identity theft and can even create profiles. and choosing people, which is never a good thing.
“In terms of espionage, if you’re looking for someone and you’re able to identify a habit and build a profile, that can certainly give you an advantage and lead to potential opportunities for harm.”
Is the Temu app safe?
The Temu app collects data from its users, but no more than apps like Amazon.
You must also comply with US data protection laws.
However, its parent company, PDD Holdings, is reportedly much more comprehensive in its data collection.
In March, PDD Holdingd’s other app Pinduoduo was suspended by Google after malware encoding was discovered in some versions of it.
Pinduoduo gets full access to all your contacts, calendars and photo albums, plus all your social media accounts, chats and texts, according to a USA Today report.
Google said it has taken down its online store shopping platform amid “security concerns.”
The Temu app and website also received an overall customer rating of just 2.3 stars through the Better Business Bureau’s rating system.
There are a number of five-star reviews for Temu on TrustPilot, with customers happy with the low prices and huge range of items.
But recent complaints about Temu on the BBB website say the items never arrived or took weeks or even months to arrive.
McGovern said it is unusual for such a new company to have received so many complaints in such a short time.
It should also be noted that Temu’s promotional credits scam was discovered by online cybercriminals, who created fake “free credits” scams to lure unsuspecting victims.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story