Yahoo Finance Houseparty app offers $1m reward for proof of sabotage
The maker of a video calling app that is easing the loneliness of coronavirus lockdown have denied claims circulating on social media that it has been hacked.
Houseparty has shot to popularity in recent weeks, chiefly because it allows people in locked-down countries like the UK or Italy to catch up with friends and family from the safety of their homes.
But several posters on social media claimed that Houseparty was to blame for their other online accounts – including Netflix, Spotify and Instagram – from being hacked.
Read more: UK economic growth flatlined even before coronavirus hit country
Houseparty denied these rumours, and put out a tweet insisting that all accounts are safe and that it doesn’t hold passwords for other sites.
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
It also issued $1m (£810,750) reward for evidence the company was the victim of a commercial smear campaign.
In a statement, the service said it has found "no evidence" of such a breach.
"We've found no evidence to suggest a link between Houseparty and the compromises of other unrelated accounts," a spokeswoman said.
"As a general rule, we suggest all users choose strong passwords when creating online accounts on any platform.
"Use a unique password for each account, and use a password generator or password manager to keep track of passwords, rather than using passwords that are short and simple."
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Houseparty is owned by Epic Games, the company behind popular battle royale game Fortnite.
If you are still worried, here’s how to delete your Houseparty account
1. Open the Houseparty app and tap the user icon in the top left corner of the screen
2, Tap the Settings icon
3. Tap Privacy
4. Tap Delete Account
5. You’ll be asked if you’re sure you want to delete your account - if you are, tap Yes
6. Enter your password
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