Viral lockdown video apps Zoom, Houseparty under scrutiny for privacy violations

Video chat services Houseparty and Zoom, which have gained unprecedented popularity amid lockdowns across the world due to the covid-19 outbreak, are under scrutiny for being lax about user privacy. Security researchers and users have pointed out various ways in which the two apps may have violated privacy.

While Zoom is a video conferencing app, usually used for official meetings, etc., Houseparty is a service that allows users to chat with their friend groups via live video.

Houseparty’s woes began when users complained that the app enabled attempted hacks on their email, Uber, Spotify, online banking and other accounts. However, experts noted that there was no proof of the same, and the app company announced a million dollar reward for who could prove that the allegations were part of a smear campaign.