Clubhouse has finally revealed its Android app – albeit only to a select number of users. The social platform says that its plan is to “collect feedback from the community, fix any issues we see and work to add a few final features like payments and club creation before rolling it out more broadly.”
The invitation-only audio-chat company has been available to iOS users for more than a year.
Is the Clubhouse App Safe to Use?
Clubhouse appears to be a reflection of the growing interest in sound-based products with the recent rebound of the podcast.
Kaspersky researchers believe that the app can create a false sense of security, privacy, and closeness, in part because of how its registration works (it’s invitation-only at the moment). This creates several risks for the users, which are important to be aware of when using any public space on the Internet.
One of the risks is privacy risks. This is often connected with the fact that people feel they are surrounded by like-minded individuals and friends, which 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 accidentally mentioned information against the victim, yet in this particular instance, a user wouldn’t be able to prove the phrase was, for example, taken out of context, unless the conversation is recorded in advance.
Theoretically, such cases could lead even to blackmailing a 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.
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 has seen from high-profile incidents no one is insured against leaks.
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