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TikTok and Temu may be fun, but are they worth the risk?

a computer screen displaying a website page featuring products like candlestick holders, hats, lights and more
Richard Drew
/
AP
A page from the Temu website is shown in this photo, in New York, Friday, June 23, 2023.

While President Trump has been fighting with Congress over the future of TikTok, have you been a bit distracted by an impossibly cheap pair of shoes in an online banner ad?

Chinese-owned marketplaces like Temu have exploded onto the scene, offering the convenience of one-click purchases and the allure of shopping like a billionaire. But there is a catch.

A recent House Select Committee found there is an “extremely high risk that Temu’s supply chains are contaminated with forced labor.”

And when it comes to personal and national security, apps such as Temu are accused of "purposefully and intentionally" installing malware and spyware on your device.

On Cincinnati Edition, we’ll ask just how Temu can offer goods at such deeply discounted prices, what to know about your data privacy, and what to do if you have already installed the app on your phone.

Guests:

  • Dave Hatter, cyber security consultant, intrustIT
  • Louise Matsakis, senior business editor, WIRED

This segment includes select music from Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue).

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