Shop like a billionaire, but at what cost?
Temu, a Chinese-backed e-commerce platform, promises low prices on everything from clothing to technology, but is that just a ploy for the company to collect users’ private data?
A class action lawsuit alleges ‘malicious’ data-collection scheme without giving an option to effectively consent. The suit alleges that the company gets access to “literally everything on your phone”
The lawsuit states, “This is particularly concerning, given that biometric information such as facial characteristics, voiceprints, and fingerprints are immutable characteristics that can be misused by unscrupulous actors.”
The company shared a statement saying, “We categorically deny the allegations and intend to vigorously defend ourselves against these meritless lawsuits... Our privacy practices are in line with industry standards and are transparently disclosed in our privacy policy. Temuy also has a ‘permissions’ section in the Temu app and website that clearly explains the device features that Temu does and does not access. We do not sell customer data to third parties.”