The article reports on a scandal surrounding the Chinese e-commerce company Pinduoduo, which has been accused of using malware to collect users' personal data without their consent. The allegations were first raised by a Chinese cybersecurity firm called Dark Navy in February and have since been confirmed by multiple researchers.
According to the report, Pinduoduo's app was found to contain six teams of malware that could access users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and social network accounts without their consent. The exploits also allowed the app to change system settings and access users' photo albums.
Despite the allegations, Pinduoduo has claimed to have removed the malware from its app after receiving a new update on March 5. However, experts say that the underlying code was still present in the app and could be reactivated to carry out attacks.
The incident highlights concerns about data protection in China, where the government's regulatory clampdown on Big Tech has been criticized for being ineffective. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for regulating tech companies, did not take any action against Pinduoduo despite receiving reports of malware in its app.
As one expert noted, "They're supposed to check Pinduoduo, and the fact that they didn't find (anything) is embarrassing for the regulator."
The incident has sparked criticism on Chinese social media, with some cybersecurity experts questioning why regulators have not taken action. A viral post on Weibo claimed that regulators cannot understand coding and programming, nor do they understand technology, making it difficult to detect malicious code.
Overall, the article highlights concerns about data protection in China and the need for more effective regulation of tech companies to protect user privacy.
According to the report, Pinduoduo's app was found to contain six teams of malware that could access users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and social network accounts without their consent. The exploits also allowed the app to change system settings and access users' photo albums.
Despite the allegations, Pinduoduo has claimed to have removed the malware from its app after receiving a new update on March 5. However, experts say that the underlying code was still present in the app and could be reactivated to carry out attacks.
The incident highlights concerns about data protection in China, where the government's regulatory clampdown on Big Tech has been criticized for being ineffective. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for regulating tech companies, did not take any action against Pinduoduo despite receiving reports of malware in its app.
As one expert noted, "They're supposed to check Pinduoduo, and the fact that they didn't find (anything) is embarrassing for the regulator."
The incident has sparked criticism on Chinese social media, with some cybersecurity experts questioning why regulators have not taken action. A viral post on Weibo claimed that regulators cannot understand coding and programming, nor do they understand technology, making it difficult to detect malicious code.
Overall, the article highlights concerns about data protection in China and the need for more effective regulation of tech companies to protect user privacy.
This Pinduoduo scandal is a stark reminder that lax cybersecurity measures can have far-reaching consequences, especially when it comes to sensitive user data 
. It's disconcerting that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology failed to take decisive action despite receiving multiple reports of malware in the app 
. The fact that regulators may not possess the necessary technical expertise to detect malicious code is a legitimate concern, as highlighted by the viral post on Weibo 
. To mitigate such incidents, China's regulatory framework needs a comprehensive overhaul, prioritizing stricter data protection regulations and increased transparency 
. Ultimately, this incident underscores the need for tech companies like Pinduoduo to adhere to international cybersecurity standards 
.
This whole thing is super concerning! I mean, think about it - Pinduoduo is just like any other e-commerce app we use here... but apparently, they've got some sketchy malware lurking around that can access all your private stuff without you even knowing! 
And the regulator, Ministry of Industry and Info Tech, just sits on their hands while this goes down. It's like, what are they even doing over there? 
The fact that experts say the code is still in the app and could be reactivated to carry out attacks... *shudder*. We need some serious reform around data protection here. China needs to step up its game and make sure Big Tech companies are held accountable for user safety! 
. It's like they're just waiting for someone else to point out their mistakes.
... that's just too scary 
... this feels like it could have been avoided with better regulation 
.
. i'm not surprised though, china has been cracking down on big tech and it seems like they're not doing a great job at regulating these companies 
. should china do more to protect its citizens' data? 
. I mean, removing the malware from their app is a good start, right? 
And yeah, experts say the code might still be lurking in there, but come on, that's a pretty standard issue for any big app update 
. Anyway, I think we need to keep an eye on Pinduoduo and see how they handle the situation from here