Data protection

How Temu and Shein “limit your rights to the maximum”

Temu and Shein have been criticized for numerous lapses in data protection.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Temu, Shein, Lee – stock.adobe.com)

Goods of all kinds and fashion at bargain prices are what the two Chinese shopping portals Temu and Shein stand for - and have therefore been repeatedly criticized in the past for the quality of their items, their sometimes questionable origin and their impact on the environment. But there is also a problem in another area: data protection.

Google, Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Tesla, Amazon's Alexa, LG and Klarna have all been presented with a "Big Brother Award" in recent years. For the past 24 years, the defamatory prize has been awarded in Germany to "companies, organizations and individuals that have a particular and lasting impact on people's privacy and sell personal data or use it against their original interests." Or as the initiators put it: they are the "enemies of data protection".

This year, the inglorious award goes to the two Chinese shopping giants Temu and Shein. The "Big Brothe Award 2024" in the consumer protection category recognizes "that both providers limit or completely exclude the rights of users and customers through their data protection principles and general terms and conditions." The list of misconduct is long.