House party

 Houseparty  has become another way for young people to stay connected with their friends via video chat. As parents, it’s important to keep a few key aspects in mind if your child uses Houseparty.

 

Is the Houseparty app safe for young people and children?

The app has an age rating of 12+, however, it is easy for kids younger than 12 to enter any age when signing up. 

Some of the language and images Houseparty uses may be impressionable to very young children, particularly those that are vulnerable. So it’s important to monitor what your child is using the app for and who they are communicating with.

 

 

What are Houseparty’s safety and privacy features?

Since Houseparty is a video chat app, it can be used by  predators to communicate with minors, for example, making it a concern for parents.

 

 

 

Houseparty has created a few security features making it harder for predators to use the app:

• House Rules – under the ‘House Rules’ section in the app, Houseparty has a list of “rules” that it states are not meant to be broken. In reality, these are features that the app offers to help provide a better user experience and more security.
• Room lock – users can also lock the ‘room’ using a lock button on the bottom left side of the app’s home page. This prevents anyone from joining the room, including preventing other users from joining the room per invite from anyone else.
• “Stranger Danger” – Houseparty advertises a feature called “Stranger Danger”, which alerts users when individuals they may not know, enter their room. It warns against strangers, but also suggests strangers might be a reason for “party time!”
• Location sharing – is an option to add other users who are nearby using a location-based “Near Me” option. This location-based searching can be turned off.
• Private mode – you can enable this feature so every ‘room’ you’re in will be locked. Even when you’re alone.