Warning: *Privacy Not Included with this product
Houseparty
Houseparty took off in popularity around the start of the pandemic in 2020. However, owner Epic Games recently announced the app would be shut down in October 2021, making it a short-lived, flash-in-the-pan pandemic success, now going defunct. Houseparty is designed for hanging out with friends, playing games, integrating with Snapchat, and live streaming Fortnite. The app lets you have up to eight people in a video call room at once and users can have as many rooms open as they like. And just like at a regular house party, you can float from room to room easily. You can even "sneak" into Houseparty without your contacts knowing. The Houseparty app works on Android, iOS, Mac, and as a Google Chrome extension (sorry, no Firefox or Safari support).
What could happen if something goes wrong?
Oh Houseparty, you're not really a privacy-focused app, at all. Houseparty earns our *Privacy Not Included ding because we were able to use a weak password of ‘12345’ to access the app. We noted this in our review last year and they've made no changes to strengthen their password requirement since then. Houseparty has an easy to read, and worryingly vague, privacy policy where it lays out how it collects and shares a whole lot of personal information on its users. Houseparty uses tracking tools to collect data through the social media or gaming platforms you might connect. The company says they don't sell your data, but they do share it with third-parties and with their parent company, Epic Games. This data can then be used for marketing. Users aren’t able to limit much data collection, and they note that blocking cookies may stop the Chrome extension from working properly. Also, there are few protections to stop people from crashing your party. If you don't lock your party, people you don't know can join. Even if you do lock it, anyone else in the room can unlock it or invite their friends in, which could open the door for creeps and weirdos to come in the room and harrass you. We recommend users create a 'private party' or at least turn on the 'stranger danger' feature which warns users in a room that a “stranger”, or a friend of a friend, has joined the party.
Can it snoop on me?
Camera
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Microphone
Device: N/A
App: Yes
Tracks location
Device: N/A
App: Yes
What can be used to sign up?
Yes
Phone
No
Third-party account
No
Registration to Houseparty requires giving them your name, email address, birth date. Houseparty asks for your phone number but no longer requires it. Be warned, Houseparty makes it very difficult to see the option to skip giving them your phone. Make sure you look closely for the "skip" button to avoid giving them your phone number.
What data does the company collect?
Personal
Most commonly: name, email address, birthday, customer demographics, interests and behavior. Other categories of data may also be collected. Content of communications between you and another user or group of users (may contain voice).
Body related
Social
Information about your interactions with and on Houseparty. For example, they collect information about how long you chat with your friends.
How does the company use this data?
How can you control your data?
What is the company’s known track record of protecting users’ data?
Houseparty was at the center of controversy over supposed massive data breach in March 2020, when some users claimed that their online accounts, including Spotify, Paypal, Instagram, Snapchat, Netflix, PayPal, have been compromised. Houseparty denied a data breach, claiming that the rumors are a smear campaign. The company also offered a $1 million bounty to a person who can prove a breach. It remains unclear if the breach happened.
Can this product be used offline?
User-friendly privacy information?
Houseparty does have a FAQ page on its website with answers written in a simple language. This approach seems to favor Houseparty's main audience of young people.
Links to privacy information
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
The privacy policy mentions no encryption at all, be it for chats or for calls.
Strong password
Log-in does not require a strong password as '12345' is accepted. Calls are open not only to invited people, but also some people not in your 'friends' list.
Security updates
We found no public evidence of regular security updates for Houseparty
Manages vulnerabilities
Privacy policy
Dive Deeper
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Crashing the party: beware the cyber risks of virtual meet-up apps like HousepartyThe Conversation
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Video chat app Houseparty offers $1 million bounty for proof of sabotage after hacking rumorsCNBC
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Messenger Rooms are Facebook’s answer to Zoom and Houseparty for the pandemicThe Verge
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How to prevent unwanted people from joining your Houseparty callsAndroid Central
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Houseparty denies hack as credential stuffing attacks spreadComputer Weekly
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Houseparty reports 50M sign-ups in past month amid COVID-19 lockdownsTechCrunch
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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Of New App HousePartyWomen Love Tech
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Five things you should know before using the Houseparty AppTIme Out
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Houseparty ReviewPC Magazine
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Fortnite users can now livestream gameplay to Houseparty’s social video appTechCrunch
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What HouseParty’s End Means For The Other Apps We Loved During LockdownForbes
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