(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

With its recent plan to directly enter the Korean market, Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has moved to share Korean users' personal information overseas while broadening its network of external data handlers.

According to Temu’s latest privacy policy update on Friday, the personal information of Korean customers will be entrusted to both domestic and international third-party companies for “efficient service provision.” Users who refuse to consent to this transfer will be unable to use the platform.

In contrast to the earlier policy, where the only mandatory consent was for overseas remittance information, the revised version extends the scope of entrusted data to include personal customs codes, transaction amounts, addresses, phone numbers, text messages, device information, age verification IDs and data collected during service usage.

This information will be shared with 27 external companies across six countries, including Korea, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the United States and Indonesia, which will process data on behalf of Temu.

Beyond data entrusted for processing, Temu has also expanded the list of third-party recipients who can directly receive user data. Previously limited to the National Tax Service, this list now includes Korean sales partners, aligning with Temu’s plans to establish a direct presence in Korea.

Yet, concerns remain over Temu’s measures to protect personal information and prevent data breaches.

In July last year, another Chinese e-commerce platform, AliExpress, was fined 1.9 billion won ($1.32 million) by the Personal Information Protection Commission for leaking Korean customer data to approximately 180,000 overseas vendors without prior notification.

Temu faced similar allegations regarding weak data protection measures, but has so far avoided enforcement action due to its relatively short business history in Korea and limited operational records.

“The investigation into Temu is in its final stages, and outcomes are expected to be announced soon,” an official from the PIPC stated.


minmin@heraldcorp.com