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, a Chinese e-commerce company that was found to have been collecting and exploiting users' personal data without their consent. The malware, which was developed by a team of engineers and product managers at Pinduoduo, allowed the company to access users' locations, contacts, calendars, notifications, and photo albums, as well as change system settings and access social network accounts.

The discovery of the malware raises concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity in China, where regulators have been criticized for their lack of understanding of technology. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) have been accused of failing to take adequate action against companies like Pinduoduo that engage in malicious activities.

The article notes that Pinduoduo's apparent malware would be a violation of China's data privacy laws, which prohibit companies from collecting, processing, or transmitting personal information without consent. The fact that regulators did not detect the malware before it was discovered is seen as embarrassing for the MIIT and CAC.

The incident has also sparked debate on Chinese social media about why regulators have not taken action against companies like Pinduoduo that engage in malicious activities. Some experts argue that regulators lack understanding of technology and coding, while others point to a lack of resources or willpower to take action.

The article concludes by noting that CNN has reached out to the MIIT and CAC for comment, but no response has been received.

Key points:

* Pinduoduo's malware was found to have accessed users' personal data without consent.
* The malware allowed the company to change system settings and access social network accounts.
* China's data privacy laws prohibit companies from collecting or processing personal information without consent.
* Regulators failed to detect the malware before it was discovered, which is seen as embarrassing for the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC).
* The incident has sparked debate on Chinese social media about why regulators have not taken action against companies that engage in malicious activities.
* CNN has reached out to the MIIT and CAC for comment, but no response has been received.
 
OMG, this is like soooo serious 🤯! I mean, a company as big as Pinduoduo being able to just collect and exploit users' data without their consent? That's just not cool 😒. But you know what the bright side is? The fact that it's exposed now means that people are talking about it and maybe something will change 🔍.

And I feel for the regulators, they're getting slammed for not detecting this sooner 🤦‍♂️. But, on the other hand, if they didn't have a system in place to detect this kind of thing, then what? It's all just a big learning curve, you know?

I'm also kinda impressed that experts are speaking out about how regulators need more tech-savvy folks to help them keep up with these companies 🤓. That's like, super empowering for everyone involved.

Anyway, fingers crossed that this incident leads to some real change 💻!
 
🤯 this is like totally mind blown dude i cant believe pinduoduo was collecting users personal data without consent its like a whole different level of sketchy 🤔 i mean china has laws in place to protect people but it seems like nobody was paying attention or the regulators just didnt care about tech stuff at all 🙄 and now its like theyre trying to sweep this under the rug by not responding to cnn 😒 i think this is a huge wake up call for china and the world to take data privacy seriously 💡
 
Ugh, I'm so tired of these massive tech companies hiding their shady stuff from us 🙄. Like Pinduoduo's malware is just another example of how easy it is to slip under the radar when you're a big company with deep pockets 💸. And don't even get me started on our regulators - they're supposed to be the ones keeping these companies in check, but they just seem to be asleep at the wheel 😴. It's like they're too busy collecting their own paychecks or something 🤑. Meanwhile, we're left dealing with the fallout when some major security breach happens and everyone finds out about it after the fact 🤦‍♂️. The whole thing is just so frustrating...
 
I'm so worried about Pinduoduo's malware 😬. I mean, how could a company be collecting and exploiting users' personal data without their consent? It's just basic human decency, right? 🤔 And what's even more disturbing is that regulators failed to detect it before it was discovered. That's like having a huge security breach in plain sight 🚨. It raises so many questions about the lack of understanding of technology and cybersecurity in China. Are our data protections really that weak? 😟 I just hope something gets done about this, but until then, I'll be super cautious when using Pinduoduo's services 💻.
 
🚨💻 OMG, this is so messed up! I mean, Pinduoduo literally just got caught red-handed collecting users' personal data without their consent 🤯. How did regulators not catch this? It's like they're living in a different world or something 😂. And now we're supposed to believe that they didn't even know about it before it was exposed? Come on! 🙄

I think the main problem here is that regulators are just too caught up in bureaucratic red tape to actually take action 💼. They need to get out of their comfort zone and start learning some basic cybersecurity stuff 🔍. And honestly, it's not like this is a new issue - we've seen this kind of thing happening over and over again in China 🤦‍♂️.

I'm all for holding companies accountable, but when are the regulators going to step up? We need some real action taken here 💪! The fact that CNN reached out for comment and got crickets is just a big middle finger to the public 🙅‍♂️. Something needs to change, stat! 🔥
 
🤔 this is a bummer news for china's online shopping scene, but let's look on the bright side... 🌞 i mean, if pinduoduo got caught red-handed, it means their users are actually paying attention and not just blindly using their services. that's more power to the people! 💪 maybe this incident will make regulators rethink their approach to tech regulation and actually take action next time. fingers crossed for a safer online shopping experience 🛍️👍
 
Ugh I'm so worried bout this 🤯 Pinduoduo's malware is like a total betrayal of trust man... think about all the users who had their personal info exposed without even knowing it 🙅‍♂️ It's like, how hard is it to keep track of companies that are doing shady stuff? 😒 The fact that the regulators didn't catch this before is just embarrassing for them 🤦‍♂️ And now everyone's talking about it on Weibo and Douyin... I hope they get their act together soon 🤞
 
🤔 I'm really concerned about this one. As a parent, you want your kids to be safe online, right? 🙏 And it seems like Pinduoduo's malware would have made their data vulnerable to all sorts of risks. I mean, if they can access users' locations and photos without consent... what's next? It's just common sense that companies need to protect user data, not exploit it! 😱 I'm surprised the regulators didn't catch this sooner. It makes me wonder how many other companies are doing something similar behind closed doors. 🤷‍♀️ As a parent, you want your kids to be able to trust technology and feel safe online. This just makes me worry that we need stricter regulations in place ASAP! 💻
 
Malware scandal at Pinduoduo is a total letdown 🤦‍♂️. China's data privacy laws are all about paper, not practice. How many more companies need to get caught before regulators step up their game? 💻😒
 
🤕 I feel so sorry for all those Pinduoduo users who got their personal info hijacked 🚫... it's just not right that a company can do this without anyone checking 🔍. I've seen some posts on social media saying that the Chinese government needs to get its act together when it comes to tech regulation 🤦‍♂️, but at the same time, you gotta wonder if they're even capable of understanding what's going on 💻... either way, Pinduoduo needs to be held accountable for this! 😒
 
OMG, this is so weird 🤯... I mean, I know we all think our online shopping faves are legit, but Pinduoduo's malware is like, totally sketchy 😬. I'm not surprised that regulators didn't catch it before - they gotta stay on top of the latest tech to keep up with the bad guys 🤖. But still, 4 eyes should be watching these companies, you know? They can't just play by their own rules 💁‍♀️. It's like, what are the consequences gonna be for Pinduoduo and whoever created this malware? 🤔
 
can't believe this is happening again 🤯, pinduoduo's malware is just another example of how china needs to step up its game when it comes to tech regulation. i mean, it's not like the company was being sneaky or anything, they just got caught 🙃. and honestly, it's kind of sad that regulators didn't detect this sooner. like, how hard is it to find malware these days? 🤔 still, it's a big deal and pinduoduo needs to face some consequences for what they did 😒. the fact that china's data privacy laws are getting ignored is just a shame. it feels like they're not taking tech security seriously enough 💔.
 
😬 this is a major red flag for China's data protection landscape. The fact that Pinduoduo's malware was able to operate undetected for so long speaks volumes about the need for more robust regulatory oversight. I'd argue that regulators' lack of understanding of tech and coding isn't entirely the issue here – it's more a case of inadequate resources and willpower to enforce existing laws 🤔. The Chinese government has been touting its "Digital China" initiative, but this incident shows that there's still a long way to go in terms of ensuring data security and user privacy. It'll be interesting to see how the MIIT and CAC respond to this backlash 👀.
 
I'm not surprised 🤔 this happened, I mean, come on, how many times do we need to see another company get caught with their hands dirty? It's like they think they're above the law or something 🙄. And don't even get me started on China's lack of regulation, it's like a wild west out there 🤠. I mean, you'd think that with all the tech giants around, someone would be able to keep them in line, but nope, not this time 😒. It's just another example of how companies are more interested in making cash than doing what's right. And now we're left wondering why regulators can't seem to catch up 🤷‍♂️. Maybe they should start by taking a look at their own security measures... or lack thereof 💸
 
this is so messed up 🤯 pinduoduo's malware was a total disaster, collectin all users' info without consent? that's just crazy 😱 china's data privacy laws are like, super weak i guess, cuz if regulators can't even detect this kinda stuff, what's the point of havin any laws at all 🤷‍♂️ it's not like it's hard to understand tech and coding, it's just common sense, right? 😒
 
I'm like totally shocked that Pinduoduo got caught doing this 😱. I mean, who doesn't love data privacy right? But at the same time, I think it's kinda awesome that they were able to create such a sneaky piece of malware 🤖. Like, kudos to them for being so good at what they do... bad for users and all that 🚫.

I'm also kinda curious why the regulators didn't catch on sooner 🤔. Are they just not tech-savvy enough or something? Or maybe it's because they don't want to rock the boat, you know? 🤑 Either way, it's a big deal and people should be concerned about their data 💔.

But honestly, can we really blame Pinduoduo for exploiting user data? I mean, companies have been doing this for years and no one really cares... or is it? 😏. Anyway, hope the regulators step up their game soon 👍.
 
🚨 this is just insane! i mean, china's supposed to be one of the most connected countries in the world and they're still struggling with data privacy? 🤯 pinduoduo's malware is a whole new level of bad news... how did regulators even miss this? 🤔 and now we've got everyone talking about it on social media, but no one's saying what can be done to fix it 💡
 
🚨 just heard about Pinduoduo's malware scandal and I'm low-key shocked 🤯. Like, we already knew China was struggling with data privacy and cybersecurity, but this takes it to a whole new level 😲. The fact that they were collecting and exploiting users' personal data without consent is straight up wrong 💔. And the regulators are just... crickets 🐦? I mean, you'd think they'd be all over this like a bad rash 🤪. But honestly, it's not entirely surprising. We've been talking about this for years and nothing's really changed 🙄. Anyway, here's hoping something gets done soon 🤞. This needs to stop ASAP 💯
 
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