21 Republican AGs Demand Information from Temu about Data and Labor Practices

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  • A group of 21 Republican AGs sent a letter to the president of WhaleCo Inc., d/b/a Temu, and the CEO of Temu’s parent company PPD Holdings Inc. (collectively, “Temu”), raising concerns that the company’s business practices may violate federal and state laws.
  • In the letter, led by Montana AG Austin Knudsen, the AGs allege that Congressional investigators concluded it is likely that Temu is selling and shipping products to the United States that are made using forced labor by Uyghurs in violation of the federal Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and that Temu is failing to warn consumers of dangers associated with their products and failing to notify consumers of safety recalls as required by states’ consumer protection laws. Specific to Montana, the letter also alleges that Temu’s ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its data collection practices may run afoul of Montana’s Consumer Data Privacy Act, which takes effect on October 1, 2024.
  • The AGs request that Temu respond within 30 days to a series of questions about its business and data practices, including whether Temu collects U.S. consumer data and how consumers are informed about that; details on data retention and cybersecurity measures to prevent unauthorized access; steps Temu has taken to ensure its app is free from malware or spyware programs; whether the CCP has ever requested access to U.S. consumer data; and whether Temu sells U.S. consumer data. Other questions ask about how Temu certifies its products are not made with forced labor, its processes for ensuring product safety, and the company’s protocols for notifying consumers of safety recalls.
  • We have previously written about Arkansas AG Tim Griffin’s lawsuit against Temu alleging that Temu’s online shopping app operates as malware that is designed to gain unauthorized access to users’ data in violation of the state’s consumer protection laws.
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