The Clubhouse application has gone from being relatively unknown to becoming one of the most popular apps in various parts of the world.
The audio-only app has a host of features - but it can create a false sense of security, privacy, and closeness. Users might think the app is secure and private due to it being an invitation-only set-up but it poses the same risks as any other social media.
This false sense of security creates several risks for the users.
One of the biggest risks is privacy risks.
This is often linked to the fact that people feel they are surrounded by like-minded individuals and friends, which in turn allows them to behave more authentically than they would in front of strangers.
This creates an opportunity for offenders who are always on the lookout to use any information against the victim. This could end up in trouble for the users as they would would not be able to prove the phrase was, for example, taken out of context. Such cases could lead even to blackmailing the targeted person by demanding to pay a ransom.
Moreover, it’s important to remember that everything you speak or write within the app is not only heard and seen by those present but also collected and analysed by the service itself.
“The app collects content, communications, and other information that participants provide, including when you sign up for an account, create or share content, and message or communicate with others,” Kaspersky said in a statement released on Friday.
“To create and manage an account, a participant may provide personal data, including name, phone number, a photo, an email address, and a username. And the app temporarily records the audio in a room while the room is live. Also, the data collected about the participants may also be given to third-parties, albeit for temporary use, but as the app have seen from high-profile incidents no one is insured against leaks.”
“As a whole, Clubhouse’s Privacy Policy is relatively standard, but when you share something on such social networks, it’s very important to always remember that you actually can’t be 100% sure what will happen with your shared data, so you have to be prepared for the fact that one day it may leak to the general public – someone may simply record it” - says Alexey Firsh, security researcher at Kaspersky.
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