Worried about Houseparty data breach? Here is how you can delete your account

With most parts of the world going into a lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed thousands of lives already, the internet has become people’s best resort for professional and recreational needs. As video conferences and calls become the order of the day to remain functional during long-drawn self-isolation periods, two applications have gained immense popularity – Houseparty and Zoom.

Houseparty – an application that was launched way back in 2016 – has found newfound popularity in recent times; it recently topped Playstore listings too.

Just how Zoom has become a necessity to connect for online virtual classes and professional needs, Houseparty has become indispensable for people who want to connect with family and friends while engaging in other fun activities online.

However, several security concerns over Houseparty have started surfacing on social media with users alleging data breach. Several persons have taken to Twitter to complain about their Spotify, Netflix, and PayPal accounts getting hacked after they downloaded the app.

While the app’s owner has denied all such reports and dubbed it a smear campaign, several users have started deleting their Houseparty accounts over security concerns.

All Houseparty accounts are safe - the service is secure, has never been compromised, and doesn’t collect passwords for other sites.

— Houseparty (@houseparty) March 30, 2020

We are investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty. We are offering a $1,000,000 bounty for the first individual to provide proof of such a campaign to bounty@houseparty.com.

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— Houseparty (@houseparty) March 31, 2020

Here’s how you can go about it:

First, tap on the user icon at the top left corner of your screen, which resembles an emoticon. Once you click on that, the settings icon will appear – tap on that next. Click on the ‘privacy’ tab after that.

Once done, the delete account option will appear -- Type ‘yes’. You will be asked to provide your password detail to delete the Houseparty account. Enter that in the box that will appear below and press ‘Ok’.

After this step, the application will ask once more if you have “changed your mind”, where you can skip the “nevermind” option and hit ‘delete’ for the final time.