Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has launched a lawsuit against Temu, an e-commerce platform, accusing it of deceptive trade practices and illegal use of harmful malware. These claims propose that thousands of computers in Arkansas alone are in danger from the company’s hidden malware and that customers have suffered due to misrepresented goods.
The charges allege that Temu has practiced unethical access to user data, a clear breach of personal privacy and security. Moreover, it’s claimed that Temu gains unauthorized access to all information on a user’s mobile device, without the device owner’s knowledge or consent.
This isn’t the first time Temu or its parent company, PDD Holdings, have been the target of such controversy. Both entities were previously entangled in legal challenges after a 2023 incident involving the removal of a PDD-affiliated app from the Google Play Store over security concerns.
These previous incidents ignited discussions about digital security, drew attention to app security protocols, and subsequently caused criticisms, lawsuits, and a hit to PDD Holdings’ ventures. The turbulent attention enforced a much-needed focus on digital security, resulting in a total system overhaul and compliance with international digital security frameworks.
However, Temu and PDD Holdings’ reputations suffered. Users questioned the apps’ reliability while investors probed the ethics of the company.
Arkansas legal action against Temu’s deceptive conduct
Additional legal and regulatory scrutiny added to the mounting challenges both entities face in their operations.
Despite these setbacks, Temu and PDD Holdings focus on regaining user trust and reforming their security frameworks. They assert their commitment to customers’ privacy and security and express confidence in what they have learned from these incidents.
The lawsuit insists that Temu resembles the earlier removed app, harboring malware that can exploit weaknesses in mobile operating systems and secretly access user data. This could potentially risk exposing personal, financial, and confidential work-related transactions and information on affected devices.
Similar to the 2023 incident, these lawsuits question security measures enforced by app stores and ignite discussions on data security. The lawsuit signals a potential loophole that allows unauthorized data access, outlining a stark violation of data security transparency rules.
According to the lawsuit, Temu collects unnecessary amounts of data from its users, including sensitive and personally identifiable information. Moreover, it is alleged that Temu illicitly accesses a device’s audio and visual data, further reinforcing the privacy violation claims.
As these charges are pending, no public response has been issued by Temu, Google, or Apple to address these allegations. The tech industry and the global community are awaiting statements from the involved parties, while the lack of response to these allegations has fuelled speculation and curiosity around the matter.
