New Zealand officials are staying quiet about concerns over Temu, a popular Chinese online shopping site, and its potential cybersecurity risks.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) refused to directly address whether Temu could be a threat. Instead, they gave general advice, urging people to be cautious about privacy and security when using foreign apps, as other countries’ data laws may apply.
In the United States, lawmakers have raised alarms, asking the FBI to investigate Temu for possible risks to national security and personal data. They pointed to concerns that the app might be connected to the Chinese government. Reports from the U.S. say Temu’s parent company, Pinduoduo, has been accused of spying on users by accessing private messages and changing security settings.
Despite these concerns, Temu and similar platforms like AliExpress remain popular in New Zealand.
