Arizona Attorney General Sues Chinese Online Retailer Temu Over Data Theft Claims

Arizona is pursuing Temu and its parent company PDD Holdings Inc, with Kris Mayes, the Arizona Attorney General, announcing that the state is suing over allegations the Chinese online retailer steals customers’ data. The suit claims the app deceives users about product quality and collects a “shocking amount” of sensitive data without consent, including GPS locations and a list of other apps on devices.

A forensic review reportedly found code portions recognised as malware or spyware that exfiltrate data while concealing the activity, and noted large swaths of banned code from the platform’s precursor version. Mayes urged Arizonans to delete Temu accounts, uninstall the app and scan devices for malware, saying the improprieties could be the gravest violation of the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act seen in the state.

The complaint also accuses Temu of being potentially subject to Chinese laws requiring data handover and of evading security reviews, while alleging the company has copied intellectual property from brands such as the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona State University. According to Associated Press.