DES MOINES — Attorney General Brenna Bird has sued the e-commerce marketplace Temu for multiple violations of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act.
Temu advertises itself as a platform offering low-cost goods to consumers, telling Iowans they can “shop like a billionaire.” But the lawsuit says the promise of savings lures Iowans to the platform where Temu deceptively harvests Iowans’ data that could be accessed by the Chinese Communist Party.
The lawsuit also claims Temu made false representations about the quality of goods, used sign-up scams and misrepresented pricing. Additionally, Bird says Temu shows a lack of regard for intellectual property rights, including those of the University of Iowa regarding its Hawkeyes’ gear and even of the IOWA Wave, where proceeds from legitimate IOWA Wave apparel benefit pediatric cancer and illness research at the University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital…