Thousands of people using the internet have been bombarded with adverts that seem too good to be true, offering "free money" to people who sign up to a Chinese shopping website, Temu. This has prompted many to ask - is it real?
Social media users have shared screenshots from X and Instagram that appear to show them receiving £50 for getting other people to sign up to the shopping website's app. Once both people have signed up, Temu claims that they will each receive £50 paid directly into the PayPal account.
Others have reported being offered Temu credit instead of cash, but many people online are questioning if the offer of free money is too good to be true. Others have asked what Temu gets out of such an offer, with serious questions about how the app uses user data, reports The Mirror.
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Temu said it gathers user information solely for the purpose of delivering their service.
Social media users are being invited to send out an "invitation code" to others, which is how the giveaway has spread so widely. In the rules of the giveaway, the rules state that taking part in the giveaway gives Temu permission to “use and publish such Member's photo, name likeness, voice, opinions, statements, biographical information, and/or hometown and state for promotional or advertising purposes in any media worldwide”.
Laura Kankaala, threat intelligence lead at F-Secure, told The Mirror it is unclear how exactly Temu would repurpose and use your data and urged shoppers to think carefully. She said: "In general data is immensely valuable for companies that do targeted advertisement or try to keep people engaged on their platforms. Secondly, data obtained from users could also end up as training or source material for different types of AI systems.
"The mentions of privacy in the Temu giveaway rules are quite vague so it's really impossible to say what will ultimately happen to your data, but I think it's good to understand that the participants are essentially receiving up to £50 for giving a lifetime access to your most personal information - how you look, sound and what you think."
Gaël Duval, data privacy expert and founder of non-profit /e/OS Android operating system, added: "If Temu's £50 reward in return for signing up to the newsletter is indeed legitimate (which I can't comment on), this should give food for thought as to just how lucrative your personal information is to corporations.”
A spokesperson from Temu said: "Temu gathers user information solely for the purpose of delivering our service and to enhance customer experience. We do not sell user information. The terms and conditions highlighted are commonplace in similar promotions held by various companies across different sectors."
