It has recently been discovered that yet another one of China’s most popular apps is a security risk, bypassing user phone security to secretly monitor, collect data, check notifications, spy on other apps, read private messages, and even change settings.

Surprise! Surprise!

Pinduoduo, one of China’s most popular apps for shopping, selling clothing, groceries and just about everything else needed by almost a billion people, is considered to be such a high security risk that it has been blocked by Google.

This Chinese-made app follows the same concerning pattern of TikTok, ZOOM, YouCam Makeup and many others.

“We haven’t seen a mainstream app like this trying to escalate their privileges to gain access to things that they’re not supposed to gain access to,” said Mikko Hyppönen to CNN. Mikko is a chief research officer at WithSecure, a Finnish cybersecurity firm.

For the BTJ audience, what is of greater concern however, is not what is being reported about the Chinese software app, Pinduoduo, but what is not being reported about the American company, Apple.

Google immediately suspended Pinduoduo, but at the writing of this article, Apple has not and Pingduoduo is still available for download for Apple iOS. Google reported, “We have suspended the Play version of the app for security concerns while we continue our investigation.”

Apple has made no such announcement. Why?

Every year BTJ hosts a hackers conference for Christian hackers from around the world to ask these questions of our daily technology. BTJ hackers help get the Gospel into closed countries, as well as supply updates on cybersecurity. Providing updates for security risks posed to missionaries, like the one regarding Pingduoduo, is just one of the many benefits of having regular access to a community of Christ-minded hackers.