I saw this coming. I’ve been warning about the shopping app Temu since April when its sister app, Pinduoduo, was caught planting malware. It was spying on other apps, reading notifications and messages, and even changing settings.
The U.S. government accused Temu of data risks … and now the lawsuits are here. A class-action filed in Illinois says the Chinese app collects more info than it needs and than it discloses.
Why in the world are people still using it? The deals, of course!
On a slow boat from China
An HD Wi-Fi security cam for $6.98. An Android fitness watch for $8.38. A $7.99 wedding dress feels like bad vibes, with even the cake in tiers.
You might get lucky and find a gem that matches the description, but I wouldn’t bet on it. Shipping is slow, too, since they’re coming from China.
In exchange for those cheap goods and prices, Temu makes money with your data. The app requests 24 permissions on your device, including access to your Wi-Fi network info, Bluetooth, photos and videos, contact info and payment details. Yikes.
What about the website?
If the app is off-limits, is the website safe to use? Sorry, but no. You’re still handing over (at a minimum) your full name, address, phone number, email and payment details.
The more permissions an app requests
… the more you should consider whether it’s worth having on your smartphone. Don’t see the big deal? Think about all you do on yo ..
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