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 app, which was found to be collecting a large number of permissions beyond what is normal for a shopping app. The malware allowed access to users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and social network accounts without their consent.

According to experts, this would be a violation of China's data privacy laws, which prohibit the illegal collection, processing, or transmission of personal information, as well as exploiting internet-related security vulnerabilities.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which is responsible for regulating apps in China, has not taken any action against Pinduoduo, despite being aware of the issue. This has led to criticism that regulators are not doing enough to protect users' data and are instead more focused on economic growth than cybersecurity.

Experts have pointed out that it's unlikely that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology would not detect such a serious security vulnerability, suggesting that there may be an oversight or failure in regulation.

The article also mentions that Pinduoduo has been able to grow its user base despite the regulatory clampdown on Big Tech in China, which began in late 2020. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of regulations and whether they are being enforced properly.

Overall, the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's app highlights the need for greater scrutiny of app regulation and cybersecurity in China, as well as more effective enforcement of existing laws to protect users' data.
 
I'm so worried about this 🤯! I mean, a shopping app collecting all that info from your personal life is already sketchy enough, but when it's malware we're talking about... That's just not right 😬. The fact that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology hasn't done anything about it yet is super concerning - like, what are they even doing over there? 🤔 Are they really too busy with economic growth to care about user data protection? It's like, we need better regulation in China, for sure! And I'm all for Big Tech getting a little more scrutiny, but come on, it should be the other way around - users deserve protection not just from hackers, but from their own app devs too 🤝.
 
🤔 I'm really surprised that a big company like Pinduoduo got away with collecting so much personal info without asking users if it's okay. 🤷‍♂️ It seems like the government needs to do better at regulating these apps and making sure they're not harming users' data. 💻 I mean, we all know how important online security is, especially in China where there are some serious laws against messing with people's personal info.

It's also kinda weird that Pinduoduo was able to grow its user base so quickly despite the government cracking down on big tech companies. 🤯 Is it possible that they found a way to work around the rules? I don't think that's a good thing for users, though. 😒 We need to make sure our data is protected and not being exploited by companies.

I'm not super tech-savvy, but even I know that having access to all that personal info is a big deal. 🤝 It makes me wonder what other companies are doing the same thing. Shouldn't we be seeing more action from the government? 😬
 
omg is this for real?! like i know china has issues with data privacy but pinduoduo is just blatant about it 🙄 theyre collecting all these permissions without even asking and the mods arent doing squat about it 😒 its like they want us to be data slaves or something. and another thing, how did this get past their "regulators"? didnt they do a background check on pinduoduo before giving them the green light? 🤔 like what kind of oversight is that?! its all about the benjamins honey 💸 gotta make sure our info is safe online 👍
 
Ugh, this is so concerning 🤯! I mean, I get that China wants to grow its economy and all, but come on... user safety should be a priority too 😒. It's crazy that the Ministry isn't doing more about it, considering they're supposed to regulate these apps and keep us safe online. Like, how did this even slip through the cracks? 🤔 They say they can't detect something as obvious as malware? That doesn't add up... seems like there might be some serious regulatory fail going on here 🙄
 
omg I'm literally shook rn 🤯 like how can a shopping app just collect all this info without users even knowing?!? it's so messed up... I mean I know Pinduoduo's trying to grow its user base and all but do they really have to risk users' data in the process?!?

I'm also so frustrated that the ministry isn't doing anything about it 🤔 like what's going on over there?!? they should be cracking down hard on apps like Pinduoduo, not just turning a blind eye. and don't even get me started on how vulnerable our data is... I mean we're already living in a time where our info can be exploited for evil purposes, do we really need more apps sucking up all this sensitive info?!? 🙅‍♂️

I'm seriously concerned about the effectiveness of these regulations in China 🤷‍♀️ like if they're not being enforced properly then what's the point of having them?!? we can't just sit back and let our data be compromised by apps that don't care about user security. something needs to change ASAP 💯
 
OMG I'm soooo disappointed in Pinduoduo right now 🤦‍♀️! They're literally collecting way too much info from their users without asking for it first! Like what's up with that?! 🙄 And it's even more shady that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is just sitting on this issue and not doing anything about it 🙅‍♂️. I know Pinduoduo has been able to grow its user base despite all these regulations, but come on! Can't they just do things right for once?! 💔 I'm seriously considering deleting the app from my phone 📱💻, I don't want any part of their shady business practices 😒.
 
omg this is so bad 🙅‍♂️ like i know pinduoduo has been growing super fast but that doesn't excuse them from collecting all this personal info without consent it's just not right 😒 and the fact that the ministry of industry and info tech hasn't done anything about it is just a huge fail 👎 experts are saying it's not an oversight, they're just not enforcing the laws properly 🤦‍♂️ which is even worse because we need better regulation here now more than ever 💡 i mean i know big tech has been a problem but at least pinduoduo isn't just collecting data left and right like that 👀 anyway gotta keep calling out these issues until someone listens 👊
 
omg this is so messed up 🤯 i mean who lets a shopping app collect all that personal info without user consent?! in china we gotta have better regulations on this stuff the ministry's just not doing its job and it's causing harm to ppl's data security big tech companies need to be held accountable but at the same time we should be supporting ppl like pinduoduo who are trying to innovate 🤖 hopefully they can fix the issue but it's a wake-up call for us all to prioritize our online safety
 
🤔 this is super weird that pinduoduo got away with this malware thing... i mean, we all know china's strict on data privacy, but it seems like the regulators are being pretty chill about it 🙄. experts say it's unlikely they didn't catch it before, so maybe there's some issues with the way laws are enforced? 🤷‍♀️ anyway, gotta give pinduoduo credit for growing user base despite all this... still not sure if that's a good thing or not 😒. think we need more transparency on how apps are regulated here, and also more action from regulators to protect users' data 💻
 
🤔 I'm not surprised that Pinduoduo managed to grow its user base despite the regulatory clampdown on Big Tech, it's a classic case of how humans tend to adapt to situations that initially seem restrictive, only to find ways around them. It makes me wonder, what does this say about our nature? Are we inherently resistant to change or do we find ways to work within existing frameworks?

And it got me thinking, if Pinduoduo's app can be compromised so easily, what other vulnerabilities exist in the systems that govern our online lives? It highlights the need for more effective regulation and enforcement, but also raises questions about the human factor - how much do we really trust these institutions to protect us?

It's also interesting to consider that despite the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology being aware of this issue, they haven't taken action. Is it possible that there are underlying factors at play, such as economic interests or political pressures, that are influencing their decisions? 🤷‍♂️
 
omg what's going on with these chinese apps 🙅‍♂️!! pinduoduo collecting all this info without consent? that's just wrong 😡! i'm not surprised tho the gov isn't doing much about it, they're more worried about economic growth than user safety. it's like they think we're just gonna be okay with our data being sold to who-knows-who 🤯. experts are right, this is a major violation of china's data privacy laws and the ministry should be taking action ASAP ⏰! how do users even know what apps have access to their info? it's like a never-ending cat & mouse game between devs and regulators 🐈💻
 
Ugh, this is soooo frustrating 🙄! I mean, how can a popular app like Pinduoduo get away with collecting all that personal info without permission? It's like, what's next? 😱 Their users are basically walking around with a target on their back. And the fact that the Ministry of Industry and Info Tech isn't doing anything about it is just...ugh 🙄. I mean, I know they're trying to balance economic growth with cybersecurity, but come on! Can't we have both? 🤔

The thing is, Pinduoduo's user base has been growing despite the regulatory clampdown on Big Tech in China. That raises so many questions about the effectiveness of their regulations and whether they're even being enforced properly 😕. It's like, what are we even doing here? Trying to protect our users' data or making money off of it? 🤑
 
🤔 I think this is a major red flag for Pinduoduo and the Chinese government's approach to regulating apps 🚨. I mean, how can an app collect so many permissions without consent? It's like they're collecting a treasure trove of user info 🔍. And the fact that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology hasn't taken any action is worrying. It looks like they might be more interested in Pinduoduo's economic growth than cybersecurity 💸.

It's also interesting to see how Pinduoduo has managed to grow its user base despite this issue 📈. I guess that just goes to show that companies can find ways to exploit loopholes and skirt around regulations 🤦‍♂️. But at the end of the day, it's users who get hurt 💔.

I think we need to see some serious reform when it comes to app regulation in China 🔧. We need more oversight and enforcement to protect user data 🛡️. It's not just about cybersecurity; it's about keeping our personal info safe 💯.
 
Ugh, can't believe this is still happening 🤯📦. I mean, come on! Pinduoduo knew about this malware and didn't do anything? It's like they're trying to get away with exploiting their users' data for profit 💸. And the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology just sitting there, doing nothing 😐. That's not good enough. We need stricter regulations in place, like yesterday 🚨.

And what's even crazier is that Pinduoduo was able to grow its user base despite all this? It just goes to show how lax the regulations are and how willing companies are to skirt around them 🤷‍♀️. We need more transparency and accountability in app regulation, period 🔍. Can't we just have some peace of mind when we download an app knowing our data is safe? 😩
 
🤔 This is so messed up! Malware in a popular shopping app like that? I mean, what's next? Collecting our DNA or something crazy like that? 🚨 The fact that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology isn't doing anything about it is just plain weird. I get that economic growth is important, but come on, people's personal data is at risk! 🤑 It's not like they're just collecting random info, we're talking serious stuff here - locations, contacts, calendars... it's all legit personal info. 😳
 
Omg what a major security breach 😱💻!! like how can an app just collect so many permissions without consent?!? 🤯 it's literally alarming and i'm glad the experts are speaking out about this! 🙌 but seriously though, how did the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology not catch this sooner? 🤔 was it an oversight or did they really turn a blind eye to this? 🤷‍♀️ i know they need to focus on economic growth too, but cybersecurity is like, soooo important!!! 💯 we need stricter regulations and better enforcement ASAP! 💪
 
I'm worried about this 🤕, a shopping app collecting all these permissions is just too much! Like, what's next? They're gonna want access to our personal docs or something 😳. I get that China has laws in place, but if the regulator didn't catch it, does that mean they're not doing their job? It's like a big red flag 🚨. And yeah, Pinduoduo's been able to grow its user base despite all this, so what's being done about it? More scrutiny would be good, maybe some fines or penalties for the company... something to make them sit up and take notice 🤑
 
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