Houseparty says rumors it's been hacked are a paid smear campaign and it's offering a $1 million reward for proof

Houseparty

The Houseparty video chat app in action.

• Group calling app Houseparty says rumors it's been hacked are a "smear campaign" and that it will offer up to $1 million to anyone who can supply proof.
• In the last 48 hours, Houseparty users complained on social media that their other online accounts such as Netflix and Spotify were hacked thanks to the app.
• But on Monday, a Houseparty spokeswoman told Business Insider it had "found no evidence" to suggest a link between Houseparty and the compromises of other unrelated accounts.
• In a follow-up comment, the spokeswoman told Business Insider that it was "investigating indications that the recent hacking rumors were spread by a paid commercial smear campaign to harm Houseparty."
• The Houseparty app lets users take part in group video chats, games and quizzes, and has surged in popularity during coronavirus lockdowns.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Group calling app Houseparty says rumors it's been hacked are a paid smear campaign, and the company is offering $1 million to anyone able to prove it.

Houseparty users have been complaining on social media that their PayPal, Netflix, Spotify, and online-banking accounts were compromised, with one Twitter user urging Houseparty: "pls don't hack me I just wanna speak to my friends."

The implication is that Houseparty is compromised in some way, allowing hackers access to other online accounts, although there is no evidence for this.

On Monday, a Houseparty spokeswoman told Business Insider it had "found no evidence" to suggest a link between Houseparty and the compromises of other unrelated accounts, while also urging the app's users to create strong, unique passwords.

On Tuesday, the company took a more aggressive tack. The firm said it had "indications" that all the rumors of a hack were part of a "paid commercial smear campaign" to harm its business.

The firm said it will offer $1 million to anyone able to provide proof.

The Houseparty app lets users take part in group video chats, games and quizzes, and has surged in popularity during coronavirus lockdowns imposed on people across the world. According to Apptopia data cited by VentureBeat, downloads of the app grew 2,000% from mid-February to mid-March.

The app is owned by Epic Games as of 2019, also the creator of hit game "Fortnite."

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.

- Houseparty (@houseparty) March 31, 2020

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