Temu hasn’t had the best history of data collection practices, drawing many away from the platform. One large concern is that its sister company, Pinduoduo, was suspended from the Google Play store after experts found malware littered in the app’s code (via WIRED).
During an inspection of Pinduoduo, experts found code that exploited operating systems to access much more data than an e-commerce app should. While there is no evidence that any data was given to the Chinese government, it does suggest an element of risk for users of its sister app, Temu. Based on findings from CNN, many of the workers responsible for the exploits were directly transferred to Temu.
As with other apps, it’s a good security practice to check what permissions are being requested before installing an app. If there are permissions that look unrelated to the app’s functionality, it may be time to look for another app.
Temu may offer a glamorous range of products, but the truth is looking less glamorous. With poor-quality items, problems with shipment, and delayed refunds, Temu’s inviting appeal may be too good to be true.
