Data protection experts warn customers about taking part in Temu’s free money giveaway

Get the free Morning Headlines e mail for information from our reporters internationally

Sign as much as our free Morning Headlines e mail

Data protection experts are urging individuals to think twice about whether or not it’s price receiving free money in alternate for giving freely huge quantities of their private info.

Social media customers had been left sceptical after their feeds had been flooded with hyperlinks encouraging them to enroll to Temu’s free money giveaway. Temu is a fast-growing on-line market, identified for its common particular presents and for promoting a variety of merchandise at very low costs.

In its most up-to-date giveaway, Temu is promising to offer customers £50 in Paypal or internet tokens. In return, they’ve to enroll to Temu, obtain the app, and ship the invitation code to others to allow them to additionally enroll and declare their £50 fee.

However, experts and social media customers have raised issues about how the app collects its customers’ information.

According to the foundations of the money giveaway, those that register should consent to using their information, together with their “photo, name likeness, voice, opinions, statements, biographical information, and/or hometown and state for promotional or advertising purposes in any media worldwide” without being notified when it is used.

X users have called the giveaway a “massive scam”.

Gaël Duval, a data privacy expert, said: “I urge individuals to think about whether or not £50 sufficient for giving freely rights to using private info for promoting or different functions.

“It certainly highlights just how valuable personal data is to companies though, if they’re willing to offer cash incentives.”

The rules also mean the reward can provided as “Temu credits” to make use of on their web site, fairly than a financial institution switch, and that it might probably “cancel, change, droop, or modify any facet of the Program at any time, together with, with out limitation, the provision of any Rewards or different advantages with out discover.”

Temu’s privacy policy states that it does not “sell” personal data in the traditional sense, but they do “share” this data with third parties for the purposes of personalised advertising and enhancing its services.

When approached for comment by The Independent, Temu said that its terms and conditions were “standard” among numerous industries, and that there was no reason for them to be “singled out.”

A spokesperson said: “The use of giveaways is widespread to firms throughout quite a few industries, together with opponents like Shein, whose present promotions embody almost an identical phrases and circumstances. Temu gathers consumer info solely for the aim of delivering our service and to reinforce buyer expertise. We don’t promote consumer info.”

Mr Duval stated: “I believe everyone has a right to sovereignty over their own data and people are becoming more aware of the value of their data and how it’s used without their active consent. Businesses need to think of the future – just because something is tolerated now does not mean it won’t negatively impact their brand reputation in the future and this is why transparency is crucial.”

Mr Duval based the non-profit /e/OS, a free Android working system that doesn’t accumulate or monitor consumer information.

“By using big tech services like Google and social media, which most people do every day, you’re giving away huge amounts of personal information for free,” he said. “The more information a business has on users, both at scale and on an individual level, allows them to tailor their marketing messages to the right audience and enhance their profits.

“For a consumer, this means seeing increasingly relevant content, which perpetuates the consumption cycle through the impulse buying of products they don’t really need, but find attractive.”

Since it was launched in the US in 2022, Temu has become a major online shopping retailer, rivalling Amazon and Shein in popularity. The app was downloaded extra instances than Amazon Marketplace in Feb 2024, totalling 29.6 downloads worldwide. It is owned by the Chinese e-commerce firm PDD Holdings.