Pinduoduo Inc., now operating under its parent company PDD Holdings Inc., is a leading Chinese e-commerce platform founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Colin Huang. The company revolutionized online shopping in China through its innovative social commerce model, emphasizing group buying, gamification, and low-price offerings to attract price-sensitive consumers, particularly in rural and lower-tier cities. It competes directly with giants like Alibaba and JD.com by leveraging social networks and agricultural direct sourcing to offer fresh produce and everyday goods at competitive prices. Pinduoduo went public on the Nasdaq stock exchange in 2018 under the ticker symbol PDD, achieving rapid growth and becoming one of the world's largest e-commerce platforms by user base, with over 800 million active users by 2023. The company has expanded internationally through its Temu platform, targeting global markets with ultra-low-cost products, which has sparked concerns over labor practices and product quality.

Despite its success, Pinduoduo has faced significant controversies, including allegations of facilitating the sale of counterfeit and substandard goods, leading to regulatory scrutiny from Chinese authorities and international bodies. In 2023, its mobile app was removed from Google Play and Apple's App Store in the US due to malware infections that compromised user devices, drawing criticism for poor cybersecurity practices. The platform has also been accused of aggressive sales tactics and data privacy violations, with investigations by the US Department of Justice and others into potential sanctions evasion and ties to forced labor in supply chains. Financially, PDD Holdings reported revenues exceeding $34 billion in 2023, but it has been criticized for undercutting competitors through predatory pricing and benefiting from state subsidies. Legal challenges include multiple lawsuits from brands over intellectual property infringement and a 2022 settlement with the US SEC over disclosure issues. These issues highlight Pinduoduo's role in China's digital economy while underscoring tensions in global trade and tech governance.