Arizona Sues Temu for 'Infecting' Phones With Data-Stealing Malware

""We allege that Temu has repeatedly and willfully violated the Arizona Consumer Fraud Act and put the privacy of Arizonans, including minors, at extreme risk," she said. "Arizonans should be aware that behind Temu's low prices and shiny advertising, there is real danger. The Temu app can infect users' devices with malware to steal their private data while carefully hiding its tracks.""

""The complaint, which follows similar grievances filed by Arkansas, Nebraska and Kentucky in recent months, alleges that the PDD Holdings subsidiary collects an "alarming amount" of sensitive user data and personally identifiable information "far beyond" what is necessary for a typical online shopping app. It says that the platform "secretly infiltrates" users' devices to access and cull sensitive information, including the user's precise physical location, activity on the phone's microphone and camera, and activity on other apps installed alongside it.""

""Mayes said that the privacy risks are exacerbated by the fact that Temu is owned by a Chinese company and subject to Chinese laws, including those that could require it to hand over information to the Chinese government for national security or intelligence purposes. Its code, she added, is also designed to evade forensic inspection through multiple layers of encryption.""

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a lawsuit accusing Temu, a PDD Holdings subsidiary, of using low prices to lure consumers while harvesting sensitive user data without consent. The complaint alleges collection of an alarming amount of personally identifiable information far beyond what a shopping app needs, and that the platform secretly infiltrates devices to access precise location, microphone and camera activity, and other app activity. The filing asserts the app can infect devices with malware and uses encryption to evade forensic inspection. The suit also accuses Temu of fake reviews, misleading product images, and unauthorized charges, and follows similar complaints from several states.

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