Why is Temu controversial?
thread:
It's a Chinese-owned digital marketplace that's taken the internet by storm. According to TechReport, Temu reached over 200 million downloads, making it the world's most downloaded mobile marketplace app.
Temu is based in Boston by PDD Holdings Inc. PDD is headquartered in Shanghai. PDD also owns the e-commerce platform Pinduoduo headquartered in – you guessed it – China
Temu collects a lot of dara, it’s nothing compared to Pinduoduo.they are owned by the same company
researchers found it wasn’t just tracking device info and activity – malicious code allowed it to bypass cellphone security settings to spy on other apps, read notifications and messages, and even change settings
Pinduoduo gains full access to all your contacts, calendars, and photo albums, plus all your social media accounts, chats, and texts. In other words, literally everything on your phone
Temu is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and has an average rating of two-and-a-half out of five stars. Many recent complaints about Temu on the BBB website say that items never arrived or, if they did, took weeks or even months to arrive
https://www.bbb.org/us/ma/boston/profile/online-shopping/temucom-0021-553943
Temu says the company was founded in Boston in 2022, but the site's 'About Us' page does not mention its parent company
oh there is more
it's a little difficult to accurately pin down Temu's exact origins. In a February 2023 SEC 6-K filing, Pinduoduo Inc. changed its name to PDD Holdings in a special resolution. The company also moved its principal executive offices from Shanghai, China, to Dublin, Ireland.
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1737806/000110465923014742/tm235930d1_6k.htm
According to the Boston Globe, Temu chose to set up camp in Boston partially because of its proximity to Canada, where the company recently opened another office.
then there is this
the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party published a report that states Temu does not take the necessary steps to ensure the products on the site comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Act.
https://www.cbp.gov/trade/forced-labor/UFLPA
The same report asserts that Temu exploits a U.S. commerce loophole that allows the company to avoid paying tariffs and complying with U.S. commerce laws and regulations.
