Coronavirus: Sexual predator fear as kids use Houseparty app

Fears of a surge in sexual predators targeting children have arisen after an explosion in use of online socialising apps.

Houseparty has been dubbed the pandemic app of choice for ­online socialising, with two million downloads a week globally, ­including by children. Picture: istock

An explosion in the use of online ­socialising apps since the COVID-19 crisis hit has sparked fears of a surge in sexual predators targeting children.

Houseparty has been dubbed the pandemic app of choice for ­online socialising, with two million downloads a week globally, ­including by children.

It lets users meet friends in virtual rooms, make video calls and play games together. While most contact is with friends, children can be contacted by sexual predators as “friends of friends”.

Parents and teachers have vented concern about Houseparty online. “I’ve seen students use the app to send explicit content to each other to hide it from their parents,” one teacher said.

“Just be careful if you allow your child to use this app … anyone in the group can add anyone else. Your child may be speaking to someone they don’t know via a friend.”

“I believe this app should be limited to a more mature audience,” a parent said. “It caused problems that ­resulted in the school’s involvement. It is very ugly. Middle school kids are not ready for this.”

Houseparty comprises rooms. By default, a user’s room is open so others can visit it, although users can “lock” rooms to keep strangers out. Rooms offer children privacy, but a predator can use that privacy to groom a child without parents knowing.

Sexual predator activity is ­expected to increase with children stuck at home spending more time on social media. The Australian Federal Police said its investi­gations into sexual predators and child abuse material online would not stop with COVID-19.

Paula Hudson, AFP acting commander of the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation, said: “Our commitment to these investigations will not cease despite challenging circumstances we face here and across the globe due to the COVID-19 outbreak.”

An analysis of Houseparty shows weaknesses around security and the collection of data. Children can pretend to be older when joining. The official minimum Houseparty age is 13. Rooms are unlocked by default. Users can block other users but there are not currently options for a third-party (such as a parent) to block or vet accounts.

Houseparty reserves the right to read all content posted on its site, to access user data for advertising and to sell it for profit. It also collects IP addresses and geolocation data.

Houseparty is owned by Epic Games, the developer of Fortnite. An Epic Games spokesman said people could block and report users from inside the Houseparty app: “We take reports seriously and will work with law enforcement where necessary,” Epic Games told The Australian.

“As with any online social application, we'd recommend parents remain ­actively involved.”

Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said heightened use of the internet in response to COVID-19 meant a heightened risk of harm, especially for children.

“Now is the time to have a conversation with your kids about online safety, to help them develop critical thinking and the ability to make good online ­choices.

“ Unfortunately, predators will try to take advantage of online vulnerabilities offered by the situation … so it has never been more important to invoke the parental controls on your kids’ devices.”

Social media expert Emma Jane said Houseparty threw up the same issues about safeguarding children online as did other apps, but the difference was it was new.

“It's eminently understandable that people are looking for new ways to socialise because isolation is literally crazy making,” said Associate Professor Jane, from the UNSW school of arts and media.

She said children should know to tell their parents about any new person they met online. But you can’t just throw away all the tools children use online. “It's critical that we facilitate online socialising.”

Child protection agency Bravehearts Australia founder Hetty Johnston said Houseparty was “dangerous”.

“Child sex offenders will look for access to children, and Houseparty, like so many others (apps), offers that private access. It's dangerous. There's no doubt about it.”

She said children were on their phones 24/7 discovering all kinds of new apps and “plenty of sex offenders are discovering new children in return”.

“It (the internet) is a nasty, nasty place. It’s full of evil people, it truly is.”

She said parents could use all types of technology to monitor their children but the best way of monitoring them was “by talking to them and by having an honest open dialogue with them”.