Missouri sues Temu over data privacy and deceptive practices

Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has filed a lawsuit against the e-commerce platform Temu, alleging the company engages in deceptive business practices and unauthorized surveillance. The legal action claims Temu violates the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act through misleading pricing and inaccurate representations of product quality.

State investigators allege that Temu’s mobile application is engineered to secretly collect extensive personally identifiable information. This includes access to precise geographic locations, device microphones, cameras, and inventories of installed applications. The lawsuit further contends that portions of the software contain features identified as spyware and malware, potentially allowing the exfiltration of data to the Chinese Communist Party due to Chinese national security laws governing Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings.

Additionally, the complaint accuses the platform of failing to protect minors. Officials claim Temu uses gamified features and child-focused advertising without adequate age verification, potentially exposing children to dangerous products. Hanaway has advised Missouri residents to delete the application from their devices.