App's Privacy and Security Issues Under Scrutiny in Kentucky Lawsuit Concerning Temu
In a significant move, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman has filed a lawsuit against the China-based e-commerce platform Temu, alleging that the company is in violation of consumer data privacy, selling counterfeit products, and facilitating the theft of intellectual property.
The lawsuit, filed in Woodford County Circuit Court in July 2025, accuses Temu of illegally collecting users’ personal data without their knowledge or consent, providing unfettered access of that data to the Chinese Communist government, stealing intellectual property of U.S.-owned companies, and selling counterfeit items bearing well-known brands such as the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Buffalo Trace Distillery, and Churchill Downs.
Attorney General Coleman describes Temu as a threat that could lead to job losses and economic hardship in Kentucky due to the erosion of trust in prominent local brands. The lawsuit also mentions that the Temu platform can infect users’ devices with malware, posing a real danger to users.
Investigations into the Temu app have revealed practices that are not necessary or appropriate for an e-commerce app. The app is designed to collect sensitive user data without the user’s knowledge or consent and is purposely designed to evade detection of data collection by third-party security researchers.
The lawsuit further accuses Temu of violating state law by misusing consumer data and permitting the sale of counterfeit products. The state conducted independent forensic investigations into both Temu and Pinduoduo, finding issues with the Temu app.
Notably, Google suspended the Pinduoduo app from its Google Play Store in March 2023 due to the presence of malware. Pinduoduo, which shares code with Temu, was eventually banned from U.S. app stores for being malware. Apple suspended the Temu app from the Apple App Store in mid-2023 for misrepresentations about data access, collection, and usage.
These allegations against Temu have been corroborated by news outlets and technologists through their own investigations. The Temu app currently ranks among the most-downloaded mobile applications in the United States, making this lawsuit a matter of concern for millions of users.
[1] Kentucky Attorney General’s Press Release, July 2025. [2] The New York Times, July 2025. [3] The Washington Post, July 2025. [4] TechCrunch, July 2025.
- The lawsuit against Temu, filed by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, alleges that the company's illegal practice of collecting users' personal data without consent, facilitating the theft of intellectual property, and selling counterfeit products, raises concerns about cybersecurity and policy-and-legislation, particularly in the technology sector, and may lead to political discussions given the international implications.
- As Киentucky Attorney General's Press Release and various news outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and TechCrunch have reported, the Temu app's practices of collecting sensitive user data without consent, evading detection of data collection by third-party security researchers, and misusing consumer data, pose a significant risk to users' devices and general news about technology and cybersecurity.
- The alleged violations of state law by Temu, including the misuse of consumer data and permit of counterfeit product sales, have drawn attention to the need for stricter intellectual property protection policy-and-legislation, as highlighted by the lawsuit filed by Attorney General Russell Coleman and the suspensions of the Temu app from major app stores like Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
