The article discusses the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's shopping app, which was able to access users' personal information without their consent. The malware was discovered by a team of researchers at Dark Navy, a Chinese cybersecurity firm, and subsequently confirmed by other experts.
The malware was found to be exploiting vulnerabilities in the Android operating system and was able to access users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums without their knowledge or consent. It also allowed the attackers to change system settings and access social network accounts and chats.
Pinduoduo issued a new update of its app that removed the malware, but experts are questioning why regulators did not take action sooner to address the issue. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China has been accused of being ineffective in monitoring apps for compliance with regulations.
The discovery of the malware is embarrassing for the regulator, as it highlights their inability to detect and respond to security threats. Tech policy expert Kendra Schaefer said that "this would be embarrassing for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, because this is their job. They're supposed to check Pinduoduo, and the fact that they didn't find (anything) is embarrassing for the regulator."
The article also notes that the Chinese government's regulatory clampdown on Big Tech began in late 2020, which may have created an environment where companies like Pinduoduo felt emboldened to push the boundaries of user data collection and exploitation.
Overall, the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's app highlights the need for greater regulation and oversight of the tech industry in China, as well as the importance of cybersecurity awareness and education among consumers.
The malware was found to be exploiting vulnerabilities in the Android operating system and was able to access users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums without their knowledge or consent. It also allowed the attackers to change system settings and access social network accounts and chats.
Pinduoduo issued a new update of its app that removed the malware, but experts are questioning why regulators did not take action sooner to address the issue. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in China has been accused of being ineffective in monitoring apps for compliance with regulations.
The discovery of the malware is embarrassing for the regulator, as it highlights their inability to detect and respond to security threats. Tech policy expert Kendra Schaefer said that "this would be embarrassing for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, because this is their job. They're supposed to check Pinduoduo, and the fact that they didn't find (anything) is embarrassing for the regulator."
The article also notes that the Chinese government's regulatory clampdown on Big Tech began in late 2020, which may have created an environment where companies like Pinduoduo felt emboldened to push the boundaries of user data collection and exploitation.
Overall, the discovery of malware in Pinduoduo's app highlights the need for greater regulation and oversight of the tech industry in China, as well as the importance of cybersecurity awareness and education among consumers.
And what's with the Chinese government not taking action sooner?! It's like they're giving Pinduoduo a free pass to mess with users. 
The lack of regulation is insane. I mean, Kendra Schaefer said it best - this is the job of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and they failed miserably. 
i mean, u no, i've heard of them havin a regulatory clampdown on big tech in 2020 but it seems like they're not doin enuf 2 keep the companies in line 
. it's like, hello! u can't jus ignore security threats & expect everythn 2 be ok 
. we need stricter regulations & better oversight or ppl wil just keep exploitin us 
shouldnt that b their top priority?! 
- how do u expect ppl to trust ur gov if they cant even protect their own apps from malware? 
. i mean, didnt they know this was gonna happen? 
. gotta give props to dark navy tho, those cybersecurity peeps are total heroes 
!
I'm really disappointed but not surprised by this news 
. I mean, we've all heard stories about apps collecting way too much data from us without our consent 
. It's like they think we're just a bunch of sheep waiting to be exploited 
.
. I mean, if the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology can't even get their own apps right 
, how are they supposed to protect us from these kinds of threats? 
. I mean, shouldn't regulators be doing their jobs in the first place? 
It's not just about being embarrassed – it's about holding these companies accountable and keeping us safe online.
. We need more transparency and accountability in the industry, and we need it now 
!
... or was the gov just too busy with other stuff? 
also, isn't it the gov's job to regulate these things? like what's going on here? 
And I totally get why regulators need to crack down on Big Tech companies like Pinduoduo - they're basically just taking advantage of users for cash 
. But, like, shouldn't we also be giving these companies some slack? Maybe they didn't even know about the issue themselves... 
.
... I know China has been trying to regulate the tech industry, but it seems like they still have a long way to go in keeping companies accountable. And what really gets me is how quickly Pinduoduo was able to cover up their own mess by pushing out an update 
... We need some stronger oversight from the government and more awareness among consumers about online security 
.