Big Blow For Pinduoduo As Google Discontinues Shopping App After Finding Malware

• Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) Google has suspended PDD Holdings Inc's (NASDAQ: PDD) main Chinese shopping app, Pinduoduo, after discovering malware in unsanctioned versions of the software.

• On Tuesday, Google said it is analyzing the matter and suspended downloads of the Play Store version of Pinduoduo as a security precaution, Bloomberg reports.

• Google warned users Tuesday to uninstall off-store versions of Pinduoduo.

• Also Read: Why PDD Holdings Shares Are Plunging Today

• Temu, PDD's popular shopping app for the U.S., remains available to download.

• Google's move may cast a cloud over the company at a time when Chinese-owned apps like TikTok faced flak from U.S. regulators for potentially threatening national security.

• Code from previous versions of the app on GitHub shows malware present, said Shawn Chang, founder, and CEO of Hong Kong-based security firm HardenedVault.

• PDD has used nday/0day exploits, targeting Android parcel serialization/deserialization to gain system privileges as per publicly available information, he said.

• PDD has lately won market share from Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) and JD.com Inc (NASDAQ: JD) by chasing the poorer rural cities not penetrated by the more prominent players while aggressively expanding in North America with Temu.

• Like fast-fashion upstart Shein, Temu captures American shoppers with bargains to tap the cost-sensitive customers.

• Price Action: PDD shares traded lower by 1.91% at $77.40 premarket on the last check Tuesday.

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This article Big Blow For Pinduoduo As Google Discontinues Shopping App After Finding Malware originally appeared on Benzinga.com

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