Cybersecurity researchers find malware in Pinduoduo app that monitors users and competitors
Cybersecurity researchers from Asia, Europe and the U.S. identified malware in Pinduoduo, a Chinese e-commerce app with 750 million monthly users, that can monitor activities on other apps, read messages and change settings. The app exploited dozens of Android vulnerabilities to collect user data without consent. Google suspended Pinduoduo from its Play Store in March. A company source said a 100-person team developed the exploits to boost sales before being disbanded in early March.
网络安全研究人员发现拼多多应用存在恶意软件可监控用户及竞争对手
来自亚洲、欧洲和美国的安全研究人员发现，拼多多应用中存在恶意软件，可监控其他应用活动、读取短信并更改设置。该应用利用数十个安卓系统漏洞在用户不知情的情况下收集数据。谷歌于3月将拼多多从Play商店下架。公司内部人士称，一个约100人的团队开发了这些漏洞以提升销量，该团队于3月初被解散。
Why it matters: The case shows Chinese apps may use aggressive data collection that violates both user privacy and China's own data protection laws, creating legal and reputational risk for Temu's global expansion.