Information theft is a growing concern in today's digital era. Most websites, typically online stores nowadays, have been built to collect users' information when they place an order.
In fact, the amount of money lost per online shopping fraud skipped from $89 in the second quarter of 2020 to $199 in the second quarter of 2022, more than double the initial figure—according to a recent study.
The main issue is, that all online shopping sites, including Temu, collect users' information to personalize their ad feed and email, but does this one steal your information? That's what we'll be seeing today.
What Information Does Temu Collect?
Temu collects a lot of information from you from the time of your account creation to place orders through the app or website. And unless you go through Temu's Privacy policy, you'll not know how this information is being collected and how they use it. However, if you're smart enough, you'll understand when what happens every time to fill out a form or submit your information through Temu. After going through Temu's Privacy Policy, you'll typically find out that Temu collects your information when you:
Set up Your Account
Just like any other merchant or website with a database of users, Temu needs to collect your personal information to set up your account on the platform. During this process, you'll be required to provide your phone number or email that will be used for login into the platform and if you sign up with Google or Facebook, Temu will collect your personal information associated with these accounts such as your username, phone number, and email address.
Make a Purchase
Before placing your first order on Temu, you'll need to provide your financial information to complete the purchase, your shipping address, and contact details. If you already set this before on your account, you won't be required to submit these details anymore.
Reach Out to Temu Customer Support
If you've ever reached out to any customer support before even if it isn't that of Temu, an agent there will ask your your account information so they can identify your account and help in resolving any issue that's related to it.
Participate in an Event or Promotion
Have you ever participated in a contest before? I believe you have. And of course, you'll be required to sign up for the contest or simply provide some information about yourself so you'll be informed about any updates related to it. This goes the same for Temu. Promotions are a frequent thing on Temu and whenever you participate, you'll have to provide some information about yourself.
Why Does Temu Collect Your Information?
There are many reasons why Temu will collect your information, but the most important ones are for setting up your profile, completing your orders, and also for marketing needs.
For example, when you finish setting up your account, you'll be automatically part of the marketing list—meaning you'll receive promotional offers from Temu daily.
However, you can opt out of their marking list whenever you want—meaning you can choose whether to continue receiving email and mobile promotional offers and push notifications.
Does Temu Steal Your Information?
While Temu might require your consent before collecting your information, there are a couple of information they collect without your consent. That said, Temu automatically collects information like your device data, service usage information, and location data without your consent. However, that can't be identified as a theft since most if not all sites do this nowadays when you visit them.
So simply put, Temu doesn't steal your information.
Does Temu Sell Your Information?
In a direct sense, Temu does not sell your information. However, they share your information with third-party services to assure the quality of your experience with them. For example, Temu shares your address with its shipping affiliate to make sure orders are fulfilled and arrive at their destinations.
They will also share your information with third parties you've designated. This means if you come in contact with a third party through Temu, they'll share your information with them with your consent, of course.
But when it comes to sharing your information with its advertising partners, I can say Temu does sell your information to them. They'll surely say they share your personal information with these partners for targeted ads but under applicable law, Temu is selling your personal information, as stipulated in its Privacy Policy.
So it is very important to keep this in mind when submitting any information to Temu and never forget most of the information you provide won't remain as private as you might think.
Is Temu Safe to Use Credit Cards?
Yes, Temu is safe to use a credit card. However, with the increasing growth of credit card thefts, I'll recommend you to be careful whenever you use your credit card for purchases though credit cards offer cash back protections, it doesn't protect against fraud—and in this case, you'll only have the Temu's return policy to rely on.
So it is best you use PayPal on Temu since it has better security and offers a buyer protection program to cover any purchase that goes wrong.
Does Temu Hack Your Phone?
No, Temu does not hack your phone. The reason people always think this way is because Temu automatically collects information like device data, service usage information, and location data without your consent. However, they mention this in their Privacy Policy—so it is not a hack. Also, many websites do this whenever there's a new session on their site—they do this for analytic reasons only.
Final Thoughts
Temu is a popular online shopping site for those looking for discounted offers and just like most other retailers, Temu collects information from users to ensure its service. While Temu will always require your consent before collecting your information, there are a few exceptions—and information like your device data, service usage information, and location data will always be collected automatically without your consent.
Since Temu outlines all of this in its Privacy Policy, we can't say Temu steals your information, but it does sell your information to advertising partners that tailor your ads.