Chinese-owned e-retailer, Temu, has launched a cash giveaway campaign that has raised concerns among legal and consumer experts. The campaign, which has gone viral on social media, offers participants up to £50. However, to receive this amount, participants must agree to permanently hand over considerable amounts of personal data, which experts find potentially problematic.
The campaign gives new users 24 hours to sign up other people using a shareable link. Each person who signs up receives a cash reward of between £40 and £50, paid to their PayPal accounts or in Temu store credit. Existing Temu account holders can also participate, but they appear to have to reach a higher threshold for such rewards.
The campaign’s rules state that participants give the company consent to use and publish their “photo, name, likeness, voice, opinions, statements, biographical information, and/or hometown and state” for advertising or promotional purposes. This can take place in any media worldwide and “in perpetuity” – meaning with no fixed end date.
Despite the concerns raised, Temu insists that what it is doing is standard industry practice. The company gathers user information solely for the purpose of delivering its service and enhancing the customer experience. However, the data regulator says it is considering such concerns.
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