Temu, the controversial Chinese e-commerce giant aiming to challenge Amazon, is making a return to the Super Bowl with an ad this Sunday, despite calls from lawmakers for Paramount Global and CBS to reject it.
Owned by PDD Holdings, Temu gained significant attention last year after airing an ad during the Super Bowl shortly after its founding. The ad promoted Temu’s low prices and encouraged consumers to shop “like a billionaire.”
This high-profile investment helped Temu become the top-downloaded app in the U.S. by the end of 2023, with monthly active users reaching over 51 million in January, a nearly 300% increase year over year, according to Sensor Tower.
Although the details of this year’s Super Bowl ad remain undisclosed, it has already sparked controversy. Temu aims to attract U.S. shoppers by positioning itself as the next leading “everything store” with competitive prices.
However, lawmakers accuse the company of using slave labor in its supply chain and spying on its customers.
On Wednesday, 11 Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the CEOs of CBS, which is broadcasting the Super Bowl, and its parent company, Paramount Global, urging them to cancel the advertisement.
The letter states, “Since last year’s Super Bowl, Congress, through the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, has uncovered alarming findings that indicate Temu has a pattern of noncompliance with regulations regarding illicit products entering the U.S. market.”
It continues, “Specifically, Temu ‘does not have any system to ensure compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).
This all but guarantees that shipments from Temu containing products made with forced labor are entering the United States on a regular basis, in violation of the UFLPA,’” referencing the committee’s report.
Allowing Temu’s ad to air, the letter argues, “would be a touchdown for the Chinese Communist Party against the home team.”
The letter was signed by Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.V., along with Reps. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., Jim Banks, R-Ind., Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., Christopher Smith, R-N.J., Pete Stauber, R-Minn., Ronny Jackson, R-Tex., Michelle Steel, R-Calif., Beth Van Duyne, R-Tex., James Baird, R-Ind., and Mike Carey, R-Ohio.
Temu, along with Shein and other apparel retailers with manufacturing operations in China, has been under scrutiny from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party since May.
While issues related to forced labor in the fashion industry are widespread, Shein regularly reports on the presence of banned cotton in its products and publishes audit results. Other retailers also release similar data.
“Company officials lazily point to boilerplate terms and conditions asking suppliers not to use forced labor, but Temu does not conduct audits and has no compliance system to prevent supporting atrocities,” said Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., in a Friday bulletin.
“The company even admitted it ‘does not expressly prohibit third-party sellers from selling products based on their origin in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region’ and completely disregards the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.”
In response to these allegations, a Temu spokesperson told that the company’s standards and practices regarding forced labor are “no different” from those of major e-commerce platforms such as “Amazon, eBay, and Etsy” and that the claims are “completely ungrounded.”
The spokesperson added, “Before setting up their stores and listing products on Temu, every seller has to sign an agreement.
This document acts as a pledge to maintain lawful and compliant business operations and adhere strictly to the legal standards and regulations of their specific markets.”
The spokesperson emphasized, “The use of forced, penal, or child labor is strictly prohibited. Employment by all our merchants and suppliers must be voluntary.
They must respect the freedom of association and workers’ rights to collectively bargain. Temu’s merchants, suppliers, and other third parties must pay their employees and contractors on time and comply with all applicable local wage and hour laws.”
