okay, let's break this down because, while i understand op's concerns, their post is not completely accurate:
1. does this snopes article "essentially confirm the claims above"?
no, it really, really doesn't.
2. is temu a pyramid scheme?
unequivocally, NO. a pyramid scheme, by definition, involves victims investing money. temu employs a reward system for their users which incentivizes them to get others to sign up. this system is completely free.
other apps that do this: gopuff, cashapp, venmo, etc.
reference (from the snopes article linked above):
3. is temu spying on other apps on your phone? does it have access to everything on your phone?
there is no evidence that temu itself is spyware. that said, the parent company (pinduoduo) has been dinged for malicious data mining in the past, so it's definitely ideal to exercise caution.
what temu does engage in is aggressive data mining for the sake of advertising. this does not mean that they can see everything in your phone. it does mean that any information you give them, including any social media profiles you use to sign into the app (you know when you go to a website and it says "sign in with google/facebook"?), will be sold to advertisers. this may sound familiar, because it's pretty standard fare for online companies.
other companies that do this: amazon, facebook, youtube, twitter, tumblr, etc.
4. is temu a good place to shop?
i wouldn't, no. like all dropshippers, it's not great.
5. does op support and participate in sinophobia?
maybe not consciously, but you need to be aware, as we all do, that our statements don't exist in a vaccuum. i would never shop at temu given their terrible rating by the Better Business Bureau, but the specific claims you make in this post are the result of sinophobic rhetoric. the us government is concerned by temu doing the EXACT same things US businesses do every day, and people are buying into that concern, in no small part because they believe that chinese people and the chinese government are mining our data for nefarious purposes or to spread comminism. in fact, temu and its parent company are the result of grimy capitalist tactics, and when criticizing those tactics and trying not to come across as sinophobic, you should make sure you're not spreading the same incorrect information as sinophobes.
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