Seemingly overnight, everyone was talking about Temu, the online shopping app filled with deals that are too good to be true. You’ll find wireless earbuds for $17, “gold” necklaces for $1 and wedding dresses for $23.
No wonder Temu is the most popular shopping app in the US, second only to Amazon. But most of us know very little about the app’s origins. like these appsit is related to China.
I did a deep dive to see if it’s safe to use. Here’s what I found.
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Where is Temu from?
This app is not some night flight operation. Temu (pronounced “tee-moo”) is located in Boston, MA, by Pinduoduo Holdings PDD is headquartered in Shanghai, China. PDD also owns China-based e-commerce platform Pinduoduo. (More on Pinduoduo and its suspicious apps below.)
Is This Chinese-Based Shopping App Spying On You?
Since Temu launched in the US in September 2022, more than 50 million Americans have downloaded it. You might remember its pricey Super Bowl ad that promised you to “shop like a billionaire.”
The shopping app is under investigation along with other China-based apps. (statistics)
Searches for terms like “is Temu legal” spiked once Americans saw how cheap it was. Not surprisingly, you get what you pay for.
What you need to know before using Temu
First, you are buying directly from the manufacturer in China and other parts of the world. This is why shipping times are often much longer than on sites like Amazon. You might get your stuff within a week, but that’s probably more like 12 days.
In most cases, the price is low because the item is cheap. The ad image you see may not be what you actually get.
Online reviewers seem to agree: cheap is good, but if the quality is too poor to be usable. Tem’s BBB Rated 2.21/5. TrustPilot’s review Interesting, 38% 5-star reviews and 41% 1-star reviews.
But that’s not the worst. Temu collects a lot of information when you shop.
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the situation got worse
Of course, Temu isn’t the only one that wants to capture all the information from your phone. Most applications give up as much as they want. But given its ties to communist China, those licenses seem even scarier to me.
Temu collects, among other things:
- Information you provide, such as your name, address and phone number.
- Details you enter, such as your birthday, photo and social media profiles.
- The operating system and version of your phone or computer, your IP address, GPS location (if you allow it) and browsing data.
They also collect additional information about you from third-party sources, including Temu sellers, public records, social media, data brokers, credit bureaus, and marketing partners.
Americans who use Temu are selling out the country for bargains that aren’t worth it. I said you delete it. That’s it:
Red flags fly in front of the Great Hall of the People ahead of the bi-annual meeting in Beijing, China, March 4, 2022. On March 4, the Fifth Session of the Thirteenth National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference opened. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
On iPhone, press and hold an app, then tap Delete App > Delete App. tap delete confirm.
On Android, touch and hold an app, then tap Remove App > Remove App > Delete.
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in bad company
Although Temu collects a lot, it is nothing compared to Pinduoduo. Remember, they belong to the same company.
Cybersecurity researchers have discovered that it does more than just track device information and activity — malicious code allows it to bypass phone security settings to spy on other apps, read notifications and messages, and even change settings.
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Temu has full access to all your contacts, calendar and photo albums, as well as all your social media accounts, chats and texts. in other words, Everything on your phone.
Temu, a China-based shopping app, is growing in popularity but has raised concerns. (CyberGuy.com)
Why?Company insiders told CNN It’s a way of spying on users and competitors to boost sales.
No shopping app requires so much control, especially one related to communist China. If you are using Pinduoduo, please delete the app from your phone as soon as possible. It is reported that it is difficult to delete everything even after deletion.
Pro tip: If you downloaded Pinduoduo, you really need to make one Full factory reset Clear any remaining codes or traces on your smartphone.
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Also, I offer my advice to anyone who needs an Apple AirTag for Android. Meanwhile, national parks are booming, and one company is making a fortune. Feeling lost in the crowd? Don’t worry – Google Maps has what you need.
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