- It faces further criticism, both for low-quality goods and for working with user data
- In addition to NÚKIB, the Security Information Service also became interested in the Chinese e-shop
The Chinese store with everything Temu has been on our market since last year. His mobile application quickly found favor with many Czechs, and it also entices with totally low prices and the slogan “shop like a billionaire”. However, security experts have been around Temu since the beginning, according to their words, the e-shop is being checked by both the National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NÚKIB) and the Security Information Service (BIS).
That under the microscope
Already in February of this year, we reported that Temu was targeted by NÚKIB. “There are more e-shops and related applications, such as Temu, on the market. We try to address the issue continuously and comprehensively. At the moment, we are working internally on a more comprehensive analysis, but we do not want to prejudge its conclusions.” she stated then for Wolf NÚKIB spokesperson Eva Rajlichová.
Don’t overlook
Do you know Tema? The super cheap store has become a hit, but shopping is on the edge of the law
According to many foreign analyses Temu is suspected of reselling users’ personal data, which is supposed to represent the main income of PDD Holding, where Temu belongs, as well as the popular Chinese e-shop Pinduoduo.
Consumer magazine dTest again in April of this year, he criticized Temu for selling low-quality products, the workshop processing of which is not excused even by the suspiciously low price. “If a consumer buys poor-quality goods that they want to complain about or return, there is usually nothing they can do, as the enforceability of consumer rights from an Asian e-shop is minimal,” warns dTest.
Special data work is reviewed by BIS
At the same time, he alludes to the fact that the Czech Trade Inspection (ČOI) and the European Consumer Center (ESC) are short on Temu and do not have any possibility to take action against him in the event of customer claims or complaints. And according to information from the Novinky server, the Czech BIS is also interested in Temu.
“It is a business platform from a country that operates on a completely different economic-political system than Western states. China plans its strategy for years ahead and knows that the prices of goods are crucial for the decision-making of a large number of customers. So they are willing to accept a number of steps that are unacceptable to the West. From copycat branding to cheap labor, including child and minority slave labor, to massive government subsidies,” stated for News BIS spokesperson Ladislav Šticha.
In addition, Šticha also mentioned the issue of non-transparent work with user data: “From the point of view of the intelligence service or security in general, the problem is the massive uncontrolled collection of data, which most likely ends up with China’s intelligence services. […] If they want your payment card data, they’ll just get it.”
Author of the article
Jakub Fischer
Journalist, fan of modern technology, summer months and Asian food. I like Lynch movies, Pollock paintings, french house and Arsenal football club. In my spare time, I play PlayStation and go jogging.
Well, well, well! If it isn’t Temu, the Chinese e-shop that promises you can “shop like a billionaire” without having so much as a dime to your name. I mean, I always thought that if you wanted to feel like a billionaire, you’d at least have a yacht and a football club, not some suspiciously cheap phone case that might just as easily be an intricate spider’s web collecting your personal data!
Now, it seems our dear friends in government, namely the National Office for Cyber and Information Security (NÚKIB) and the Security Information Service (BIS), have decided to take a keen interest in this delightful little store. It’s like a bad date where your friends show up to check if you’re okay, only to find out you’re knee-deep in dodgy e-commerce and bargain-bin spy gadgets!
Let’s break it down, shall we? Apparently, Temu is facing criticism—not the light sitcom kind, but the serious “we might need a metal detector” sort. First off, critics are wagging their fingers over low-quality goods. You know it’s bad when even the cheap items have a suspicious “made in a basement” tag on them. This isn’t just a store selling umbrellas that flip inside out in a light breeze; we’re talking about a shopping experience that feels more like a trip to a dubious flea market tucked behind a dumpster!
And the sale of your personal data? Well, that’s not really on the shopping list, is it? I mean, if I wanted to sell my soul, I’d just go on eBay – at least then it would come with reviews! The report suggests that Temu’s parent company, PDD Holding, has found a lucrative little side gig in peddling user data, which is like finding out the chef at your favorite restaurant is also a magician, making your information disappear into the hands of a government you didn’t even know was watching you!
You could say Temu is the new black market—all the thrill without any of the responsibility! There’s something fittingly ironic about a store that sells low-cost goods while potentially costing you every ounce of your online privacy. Remind me, is Temu shopping or a game of poker? Because I don’t remember placing a bet on whether I’d get my credit card info swiped by folks with a much larger agenda!
To make matters worse, consumer protection agencies like dTest have pointed out that trying to get a refund for a dodgy product bought on Temu is akin to extracting gold from a stone. Picture this: you find a “great deal” on a “new” toaster, only for it to toast your bread like it’s auditioning for a horror film—no return policy, and sweet luck to you if your toast gets burnt and your rights were short-circuited in the process!
And bless BIS for raising the alarm about Temu’s business model, explaining that we’re dealing with a company that has mastered the art of budget shopping on a grand scale—accepting questionable ethics and labor practices the way a toddler accepts candy from a stranger. It’s like shopping at the edge of a black hole where even gravity starts to warp—“Is it worth the risk?” is now the motto of all future IKEA trips!
Now, some may argue that Temu is just another player in the e-commerce game, but let’s be real—when your main selling point is an impossibly low price combined with a dash of data theft and a sprinkle of shoddy goods, you might want to reconsider that shopping cart of yours. It’s like being offered a budget airline that promises you’ll arrive at your destination in one piece but may or may not include a parachute (just for fun).
So, in summary, my dear shopping enthusiasts, if you’re tempted to browse Temu, maybe consider whether you want to save a few bucks or save your sanity! And if you do, keep your credit cards in a safe and sound place—possibly under a lock and key, or better yet, in the custody of your overprotective grandmother!
Happy shopping—or shudders—happy spying!
