One of China’s most popular apps has the ability to spy on its users, say experts | CNN Business

The article discusses the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's shopping app, which was developed by a team of engineers and product managers who were subsequently disbanded. The malware allowed for unauthorized access to users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums, as well as changing system settings and accessing social network accounts and chats.

The article notes that Pinduoduo's apparent malware would be a violation of China's data privacy laws, which were enacted in 2021. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is responsible for regulating apps, but apparently failed to detect the malware.

Cybersecurity experts have raised questions about why regulators haven't taken action against Pinduoduo. One expert noted that regulators may not be able to understand coding and programming, nor technology, making it difficult for them to detect and respond to malicious code.

The article also notes that Chinese social media has been filled with speculation and criticism of the government's failure to regulate Pinduoduo. Some experts have called for increased oversight and regulation of tech companies in China.

Overall, the article highlights the challenges of regulating tech companies in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, particularly in countries like China where data privacy laws are still relatively new and enforcement is often inconsistent.

Key points:

* Pinduoduo's shopping app contains malware that allows for unauthorized access to users' personal data.
* The team responsible for developing the malware was disbanded after the issue was discovered.
* China's data privacy laws were enacted in 2021, but apparently failed to detect the malware.
* Cybersecurity experts have raised questions about why regulators haven't taken action against Pinduoduo.
* Chinese social media has been filled with speculation and criticism of the government's failure to regulate tech companies.

Sources:

* Dark Navy cybersecurity firm
* Oversecured security expert Sergey Toshin
* Tech policy expert Kendra Schaefer
* Weibo, a Twitter-like platform

Note: The article is in a long-form style, with many paragraphs and footnotes. It provides detailed information about the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's app and the implications for data privacy laws in China.
 
I'm low-key shocked that Pinduoduo's app had this kinda malware lol 🤯. I mean, it's not like they were trying to hack into ppl's lives or anything, but still... unauthorized access to contacts & calendars? That's just weird 😂. And can we talk about how China's data privacy laws need more work? Like, 2021 is last year and stuff 🤦‍♀️. I guess it's hard for regulators to keep up with coding & tech, so maybe they should invest in some cybersecurity courses 📚👨‍💻. Anyways, this whole thing is just a big reminder that we need more transparency & accountability from these big tech companies 🙏. We can't just sit back and let our personal info get compromised 💯.
 
omg u guys! 🤯 so like i was reading this article about pinduoduo's shopping app and it's literally filled with MALTWARE 🚫😱 like how can a company be so reckless?! 🙄 i mean, china's data privacy laws are already kinda new and all, but come on! 🙅‍♂️ the ministry of industry and info tech is supposed to regulate apps, but apparently they failed 💯. i'm low-key worried that cybersecurity experts aren't getting the support they need 🤝. we need more tech-savvy people in charge of regulating these companies, stat! 💥
 
🤔 I'm not surprised to see this kinda thing happenin' in China. The gov's been tryin' to get its act together on regulation, but it's like they're playin' catch-up with tech companies. It's like, you gotta stay ahead of the game if you wanna keep up with these guys. I mean, 2021 was supposed to be the year they cracked down on data privacy issues, but now we got this? 🤷‍♂️ It just goes to show that no matter how hard you try, there's always gonna be loopholes and ways for companies to screw around.

But at the same time, I'm glad some cybersecurity experts are speakin' out about this. They're right, regulators might not be able to keep up with all the tech jargon, but that don't mean they should just sit back and do nothin'. It's like, you gotta find a balance between givin' companies space to innovate and protectin' users' rights. Easy peasy, right? 😒
 
Omg, can you even believe what happened on Pinduoduo? 🤯🚨 They found out that their shopping app had MALEWARE! 😱 And it's not just a small issue, it allows people to access their personal info like location, contacts, and pics. That's just crazy talk! 👀 The worst part is that the team responsible for creating this malware got fired after the issue came up.

I'm so confused about why the regulators in China didn't catch this sooner. 🤔 It's 2025 and they still haven't gotten their act together when it comes to tech laws. Cybersecurity experts are saying that maybe regulators just don't understand coding, which is wild. And now we're seeing all this drama on social media about how the gov failed to regulate Pinduoduo. 🤦‍♀️ It's like, they need to step up their game! 💪

I'm not surprised though, tech companies in China are always pushing boundaries and testing limits. 😎 But that doesn't make it okay. We need stricter laws and more oversight ASAP. This is a wake-up call for everyone involved. #DataPrivacyMatters #TechRegulation #China
 
I'm low-key worried about this Pinduoduo malware scandal 🤔💻. As a user, I just want to shop without my personal info being sold or stolen 💸😱. The fact that regulators failed to detect it is, like, major red flag 🔴🚨. We need stronger oversight and regulation of tech companies in China, period 🙅‍♂️💻. It's not just about Pinduoduo, but the entire ecosystem 🌐. If we don't get this right, we risk losing trust in our online services forever 💔👎 #DataPrivacyMatters #RegulateTechCompanies #CybersecurityFirst
 
Back
Top