PDD Holdings (Temu) — Ethics Grade F

PDD Holdings (Temu) receives an overall ethics grade of F (12/100) on CancelCo's corporate accountability database. Sector: Consumer Goods. Market cap: Large Cap.

Category scores

• labor: 10
• privacy: 10
• consumer: 15
• environment: 20
• humanRights: 5

Documented incidents (3)

• Forced Labor Supply Chain Risks (high, 2023) — A U.S. Congressional report stated there is an 'extremely high risk' that Temu's supply chain utilizes forced labor from the Xinjiang region. The company lacks a compliance system to verify the origin of goods.
• Malware Concerns (high, 2023) — Cybersecurity researchers found the Pinduoduo app contained sophisticated malware designed to monitor other apps and bypass security permissions. Temu, its sister app, faces scrutiny for similar excessive data harvesting.
• Counterfeit and Unsafe Goods (medium, 2024) — EU consumer groups filed a complaint against Temu for failing to protect consumers and using manipulative 'dark patterns.' Testing showed high failure rates for safety standards in toys and electronics.

Documented good deeds

• Direct-from-Farm Logistics — Invested in smart agriculture technology to reduce food waste and help rural farmers reach urban markets directly.

Ethical alternatives

• eBay — Better buyer protections and verified seller oversight compared to ultra-fast commerce.