Recently, the Temu page has been popping up frequently on social media, offering all kinds of products at very low prices—from clothing and makeup to home goods and electronics. The catch is that when you want to order something, you have to download the app. The tempting low prices made this app the most downloaded app on Google Play and the App Store in 2023.
The Temu app is trying to compete with sites like Shein and Amazon, and it has started to succeed. However, there has been a large number of complaints from customers who either did not receive their products, or received items of very poor quality or that were damaged in some way. The nonprofit organization BBB (Better Business Bureau), which collects complaints from users, has also begun addressing this issue. Its goal is to prevent Temu from selling under such conditions. However, it offers customers discounts in the form of points they can redeem, allowing them to purchase products at prices much lower than those offered by competitors. All these options seem truly advantageous, but the catch comes after downloading the app. It sometimes requires up to 24 permissions, including access to Wi-Fi information, Bluetooth, photos, contact and payment details, and much more. But according to experts, it doesn’t end there—the app collects data from your phone and laptop, including search history and GPS data. Essentially, it gathers any data the app can access through your phone. Ultimately, users’ data could be misused. Experts advise users not to download the app onto their devices or, if they have, to delete it immediately. Clicking on an ad promoting Temu products could also be problematic. This, too, can lead to a leak of personal data.
