In America, the application became very loud on the occasion of the “national holiday”, i.e. the Super Bowl. The company decided to buy the advertisement in prime time, which is the best time when it comes to the number of recipients. The cost of such promotion is even several million dollars for a dozen-second spot. The ad informed viewers about the app and that the platform would provide $10 million in rebates for new US users.
It has already conquered the USA and Canada
Such a promotion turned out to be effective – the application, which did not exist four months ago, is breaking popularity records today. Initially, it gained users from the United States. According to , on the e-commerce market in the US, it overtook, among others, Shein, Amazon.com and Apple. Then the Temu app entered the Canadian market. Here, too, it gained great popularity, but also raised some concerns.
However, experts point out that Temu is a subsidiary of PDD Holdings. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and has subsidiaries registered mainly in China, which means that it may be subject to Chinese regulations. While this is not against the law, the Economics and Security Review Board (USCC) acknowledges that Chinese ownership raises privacy and cybersecurity concerns. ??Ago, like any e-commerce application that is not subject to Canadian data protection laws, can pose some risks.
The Temu app is controversial. What about privacy?
Fred Nerenberg, a senior cybersecurity consultant at a Canadian security company, explained in an interview with CTVNews.ca that he drew attention to the recent growing concerns about espionage from other countries (primarily China and Russia – ed.). As he pointed out, we give our personal information, information about browsing habits, etc., to a company that may not have, but may have, ties to a foreign government. Then this data would become a tool in the hands of other countries. Nerenberg emphasizes that when using such services, “we are essentially at the mercy of companies when it comes to data about us.”
The Temu app can collect metadata that can determine, for example, how long customers have viewed certain products or how many times they have visited specific pages. Based on this information, profiles are created that allow companies to direct personalized advertisements or offers to users. Such actions create a greater probability of making a purchase by the consumer, because he is or was really interested in the selected product or service. Of course, such activities are not only undertaken by Temu. These methods are used by many, if not most, companies. However, this does not mean that such actions can be considered particularly ethical.
CNN: Temu may have access to private messages
As reported by CNN, the Chinese e-commerce giant, to which Temu belongs, managed to bypass users’ mobile security software, which allows the activity of other applications to be monitored. This includes, for example, checking notifications or reading private messages. According to a CNN investigation involving cybersecurity researchers from Asia, Europe and the United States, the app exploited security loopholes in Android operating systems, which allowed it to obtain data that in theory should not be passed on to the app.
Ago – an app offering products for less than $3
The Temu app has gained immense popularity, offering very large discounts of up to 99 percent. original price. The vast majority of goods can be purchased for less than USD 3, which translates to PLN 13. Another thing that encourages you to shop is the very low shipping costs, even to other countries. It also offers free products to users who successfully recommend the app to their friends through referral codes or social media.
Source: Gazeta
Mabel is a talented author and journalist with a passion for all things technology. As an experienced writer for the 247 News Agency, she has established a reputation for her in-depth reporting and expert analysis on the latest developments in the tech industry.
