• Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    It’s because it’s a data stealing company. They require 24 different types of permissions, including keylogging, biometrics (your fingerprint), your wifi network, your Bluetooth, photos, contact info and it saves your payment details, just by using the app. It also was recently flagged for malware. You’re getting a good price because you’re paying for it in a different way

    • KevonLooney@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      It’s also just stuff from Alibaba. It’s all made in China, which has gotten really cheap. You can buy the same things on AliExpress without giving out all your contacts and everything.

      Basically you are seeing how stores in the US buy their merchandise. It’s extremely cheap, and they are marking it up at least 100%. Shirts and pants are like $3 to $10, maybe a little more for good quality. Places like Target and Walmart buy these and double or triple the price.

    • NightAuthor@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Just to be clear on the biometrics, no normal device anyone uses sends your biometrics to apps secured by biometrics.

      It’s more that your phone stores a very strong password that’s specific to that app, and your phone will automatically enter that password, but only if the phone can validate the biometric.

      This is not meant to detract from anything else you said, just clearing up how that actually works.

    • protist@mander.xyz
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      6 months ago

      It’s not just a data-stealing company, they also exploit tariff exemptions on shipments from China by shipping single orders that stay below the sales amount threshold rather than large shipments of products imported for resale. Using this sales technique they can undercut their competion, while also being even worse ecologically. They’ve also dumped a ton of money into marketing

    • MissJinx@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I wish it was always this simple, as a poor person if I could sell my data to pay for food or rent I would

      • Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        A lot do, actually. There’s a bunch of places you can get paid for online surveys, people who can’t work a normal job do them full time and most make ~30k/year from bed. It’s been great for the disabled community.

      • Shelbyeileen@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Yup, a lot of my cosplay/fashion designer friends have had their work stolen and they can’t do anything because it’s international and they can’t afford an attorney with their small business income.

        Those cat paw socks, Danielle Baloo at Toe Beanies created them, several years ago and in the process of getting a patent, they were copied by Alibaba sellers. She was denied her Kickstarter campaign for drop-shipping, and had to fight for months, proving she was the original designer. Screw people who steal designs. She worked her ass off and they’re selling her work with cheap foam that’s not safe for human skin… I constantly report them.