MILITARY chiefs have cut all ties with a Chinese-owned online marketplace after a Sun investigation revealed a security risk to squaddies’ personal details.
The official Ministry of Defence discount service was offering on its website discount codes for Temu, an e-commerce giant selling rock-bottom priced goods.
GettyUp to 270,000 payroll records from Britain’s armed forces were allegedly accessed by Chinese hackers[/caption]
RexThe Chinese app, popular for its huge range of clothing, toys and gadgets at ultra low prices, was downloaded 19 million times in the UK in 2023[/caption]
The offer was available to the armed forces, their families and veterans despite fears the megastore has links to the Chinese state and “specialises in data theft”.
Temu is also under investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK’s data watchdog, after a recent campaign offered cash in exchange for personal information.
The revelation sparked fury in Parliament as it comes after up to 270,000 payroll records from Britain’s armed forces were allegedly accessed by Chinese hackers.
The MoD contractor running the website decided to remove offers from the Chinese app with “immediate effect” due to the “concerns raised”.
The decision was taken after The Sun made inquiries to the Ministry of Defence.
MPs and peers are now urging the Government and Parliament’s intelligence watchdog to launch an immediate investigation into Temu and the contractor Blue Light Card.
Ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: “This is yet another Chinese app enticing people on to its site that needs to be investigated.
“The UK and other Western countries are being targeted by China.
“All so called private companies have to hand over data the Chinese Communist Party when they call for it to do so.
“In effect sites like Temu are data harvesters for the Chinese state.
“Deputy PM Oliver Dowden should initiate such an enquiry now.”
Crossbench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool said the revelation was “deeply disturbing”, adding: “It needs more than an internal inquiry and I have been in touch with the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee asking them to bring the private contractor responsible for protecting this data to a Parliamentary hearing to urgently establish how such a dangerous lapse of national security occurred.”
He added: “It is beyond belief that cut price discounts can be offered by companies with links to the Chinese Communist regime. It specialises in data theft and will use such data to threaten our national security.”
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey also said: “The Sun deserves a big hand for spotting that the MoD was still promoting this e-sales site, even after the big hack of Forces’ personal data.
“The MoD’s data security record is getting worse, while threats against the UK continue to rise. MoD data breaches have tripled over the last five years. Ministers must see such flaws in our cyber-security are fixed.
“The next Labour government will put Britain’s security first.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “These reports are misleading.
“The MoD does not select the companies that offer discount.”
A Defence Discount Service spokesperson also said: “Our members are always our first priority and given the concerns raised, we have removed the offer with immediate effect while we review the allegations made against Temu.”
Temu’s parent company, PDD Holdings, is based in Dublin but conducts its operations in China through subsidiaries, which are subject to Chinese law.
There is no evidence they have handed data to the Chinese government but the country’s national security laws compel companies to share information when requested.
Temu has been asked for comment.