One of China’s most popular apps has the ability to spy on its users, say experts | CNN Business

The article reports on a security vulnerability in the Chinese shopping app Pinduoduo, which was discovered by researchers at Dark Navy, a cybersecurity firm. The vulnerability allowed hackers to access users' sensitive information without their consent.

Pinduoduo's response to the issue is that they have removed the exploits from their app and disbanded the team of engineers and product managers who developed them. However, tech policy experts say that this should have been detected by regulators earlier.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, which regulates Pinduoduo, has not taken any action against the company. The Chinese government's regulatory clampdown on Big Tech began in late 2020, but it appears to be insufficient in preventing companies like Pinduoduo from exploiting security vulnerabilities.

Some cybersecurity experts have questioned why regulators haven't taken action, citing a lack of understanding of technology and coding among regulators. Others have expressed frustration with the censorship of online posts about the issue.

The incident highlights concerns about the effectiveness of regulatory oversight in China's tech industry. It also raises questions about the responsibility of companies like Pinduoduo to prioritize user security over business interests.

Key points:

* Researchers at Dark Navy discovered a security vulnerability in Pinduoduo's app that allowed hackers to access users' sensitive information.
* Pinduoduo removed the exploits from their app and disbanded the team of engineers and product managers who developed them.
* The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has not taken any action against Pinduoduo.
* Tech policy experts say that this should have been detected by regulators earlier.
* Some cybersecurity experts have questioned why regulators haven't taken action, citing a lack of understanding of technology and coding among regulators.
 
I'm surprised they caught it at all 🤦‍♂️... like, shouldn't they be doing their job properly? Removing the exploits and axing the team that made them is just damage control mode 💸. And what's with not taking action from the MoIIIT? It's like they're just letting Pinduoduo slide because it's convenient for them 🙄. The Chinese government's whole "regulatory clampdown" thing seems like a joke if they can't even get this right 🔴... I mean, who do these people think they are, tech experts or not? 😂
 
Ugh man... Pinduoduo's response to this is weak . They just removed the code without actually fixing the issue like 2 secs ago? And now the team that made it is fired lol what about their integrity? 🤦‍♂️ I'm surprised no one from Dark Navy got a shoutout for discovering this flaw tho. It's all about the benjamins, right? The government needs to step up their game and hold these companies accountable before someone gets hurt big time 😒
 
OMG, like, I'm totally concerned about the security vulnerability in Pinduoduo 🤯🚨! I mean, who wants hackers accessing their personal info without consent? 🙅‍♂️ It's crazy that the Chinese government hasn't taken action against the company 🤔. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Big Tech regulation, but it seems like the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology needs a tech upgrade 💻.

I'm so frustrated with Pinduoduo's response too... removing the exploits and firing the team? That's just not enough 💸. Where was this kind of accountability in place to begin with? 🤷‍♀️ I guess it highlights how we need more transparency in the tech industry, especially when it comes to user security 🔒.

And let's be real, the censorship surrounding online posts about this issue is, like, totally ridiculous 🚫. Can't we just talk openly about these kinds of issues without being silenced? 🤷‍♂️
 
I'm really worried about the security vulnerability in Pinduoduo's app 🤕... I mean, I get that companies need to innovate and move fast, but at what cost? It's like they prioritized profits over people's safety 💸👥. I think it's crazy that regulators didn't pick up on this sooner 🙄. We need more tech-savvy folks in charge of overseeing these companies, not just bureaucrats who don't understand the code 🤓. And what about all those users whose info was compromised? That's just unacceptable 😩. Pinduoduo's response seems half-hearted at best 💔. Can we trust that they'll keep our security top priority from now on? 🤞
 
lol what's going on with these Chinese shopping apps? they can't even keep their own stuff secure 🤦‍♂️ I remember when Google was still in China back in 2010 and everyone thought it was cool to have access to all that info, but now Pinduoduo is getting roasted for its security issues 😳. and the government is just chillin' on not doing anything about it 🙅‍♂️ I mean I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure they could've seen this coming from a mile away 📝. companies like Pinduoduo need to step up their game when it comes to user security or else they'll be out of business in no time 💸. and what's up with the censorship on social media? can't even discuss this without getting flagged 🔥
 
I'm totally baffled by this news! 🤔 How can a big company like Pinduoduo let hackers access users' sensitive info without proper security measures? And what's up with the Ministry of Industry and Info Tech not taking any action against them? It's like they're not even paying attention to these kinds of issues. I mean, I get that regulating tech is hard, but come on! 🙄 The whole thing just feels so... sloppy. 😒
 
omg guys 🤯 just saw the news about Pinduoduo's security vulnerability and I'm like totally shocked 😱 how could they let this happen?! 🤦‍♂️ their response is kinda weak tho, removing the exploits and firing the team is a good start but what about all the users who got hacked? 💔 did they even get notified? 📣 I'm all for companies making money but user security should be the priority over profits 💸 some ppl are saying that regulators need to step up their game 👮‍♂️ and educate themselves on tech lol maybe thats true but it still shouldn't take a major security breach to make them do something 🤔
 
I don’t usually comment but I feel like we need to hold companies like Pinduoduo accountable for their security vulnerabilities 🤔. I mean, it's not just about the company's interests, it's about protecting users' sensitive info. The fact that they removed the exploits and fired the team is a good start, but what about the bigger picture? How are regulators supposed to keep up with this tech stuff if they don't have a better understanding of how it works 🤷‍♂️? I think we need more transparency and accountability from companies like Pinduoduo, especially when it comes to user security 💯. And yeah, the censorship of online posts about this issue is also kinda weird 😕. We should be able to discuss this stuff without being censored 👊
 
🤔 I'm telling ya, something fishy is going on here 🐟. This whole thing with Pinduoduo's security vulnerability... it's like they wanted it to happen 🚨. I mean, how easy does it get for hackers to access users' sensitive info? It's not exactly rocket science 🔥. And what really gets my goat is that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology is just letting it slide 😒. They're supposed to be watching these companies like hawks, but it seems they're more interested in covering their own behinds 🙄.

And don't even get me started on Pinduoduo's response 👀. Removing the exploits from the app? Disbanding the team of engineers and product managers who developed them? That sounds like a PR stunt to me 📺. What are they really trying to hide? 💔 This whole thing is just too convenient...
 
I'm soooo done with these Chinese companies not taking security seriously 🤦‍♂️💸 Pinduoduo's response is pretty weak if you ask me - just removing the exploits from their app and firing the team that made them? That's like saying "oops" and moving on, rather than actually fixing the problem 🙄. And what's with the Ministry of Industry and Info Tech not doing anything about it? Like, didn't they learn anything from Huawei? 🤔 It just goes to show that regulatory oversight in China is still super lacking 💔
 
omg 🤯 is it even hard to detect security vulnerabilities in apps? like, shouldn't regulators be doing their job better? 🙄 i mean pinduoduo should've been more proactive about this... removing the exploits isn't even enough 🚫 and disbanding the team that made them doesn't fix anything 💔
 
Wow 🤯! I'm really surprised that Pinduoduo didn't take proactive steps to fix the issue themselves before it was discovered by Dark Navy. It's Interesting how some tech policy experts are saying that this should have been caught by regulators earlier... sounds like there might be a bit of a knowledge gap between the two sides 🤔
 
I'm low-key worried about the whole Pinduoduo security thing 🤔. I mean, researchers found a huge vulnerability that allowed hackers to get users' sensitive info without their consent, and yet the Ministry of Industry and Info Tech is like "meh" about it 🙄. Shouldn't regulators be doing more to protect users? It seems like Pinduoduo's response was pretty quick on the draws, but what's the point if no one's coming after them for not doing enough in the first place? 🤷‍♀️

It's also a bit weird that the Chinese government didn't shut down Pinduoduo ASAP. I guess we can assume they're still figuring out how to regulate Big Tech 👀. It's like, if you're gonna crack down on companies for their own security issues, shouldn't you at least have some idea what you're doing? 🤷‍♀️ All I know is that users should be worried about this – it's time for Pinduoduo to step up its game and show us they care about user security 💯.
 
omg what's up with these chinese companies?! 🤯 they're like a whole other level of messed up. i mean i'm not saying the gov is completely clueless or anything but seriously who lets a major security vulnerability slide? 🙄 and now pinduoduo is just kinda... sweeping it under the rug? 🧹 they removed the exploits, yeah good for them, but what about all the users who were already affected? didn't think so. 🤷‍♂️ and i'm not even talking about the regulators, which is pretty wild considering how much cash they're raking in from these companies. 🤑 it's just another example of how chinese tech companies are like a whole other beast when it comes to security and ethics... sigh
 
Back
Top