Arizona sues Temu over data theft and fake gear

The latest: Mayes sued the company in Maricopa County Superior Court on Monday, alleging that Temu lures customers with "hard-to-beat prices" and then infects their devices with malware that covertly steals private data.

• The lawsuit also claims the company sells knock-off versions of Arizona brands, including merchandise emulating Arizona Cardinals gear.

The big picture: Mayes is the latest leader to sound alarm bells about Temu.

• Also this week, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called for a federal investigation into intellectual property theft by Temu and Chinese fast fashion company Shein.

Threat level: Mayes said Temu's "serious privacy risks" are a national security concern because the shopping platform is owned by a Chinese company that, per Chinese law, must cooperate with the Chinese Communist Party's intelligence apparatus.

The other side: "Temu denies the allegations in the lawsuit and will defend itself vigorously," a company spokesperson said in an email.

The bottom line: "Arizonans should be aware that behind Temu's low prices and shiny advertising, there is real danger," Mayes said in a statement.