Temu is said to be giving people £100 in exchange for new sign-ups on its app – but is the giveaway legit, and what does it mean for your personal data?
Thousands of social media users are seeing adverts for “free money” from Chinese shopping website Temu.
People are sharing screenshots on X/Twitter and Instagram to claim they’ve received £50 in exchange for getting people to sign up to the Temu app. Temu claims that once both people sign up, they each receive £50 in their PayPal account. Some users are being offered Temu credit instead of a cash incentive.
But some people have been wondering if it’s all too good to be true. One person posted on X: “As soon as anyone signs up, you agree to allow them to sell your data to ANYONE.” Another questioned: “Sell your data for a small cash prize. What could go wrong…”
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 told The Mirror: “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.”
