Teleparty, literaly means “TV party” and is a Chrome extension that allows users to synchronize the viewing of online videos with friends (formerly called “Netflix Party”). This application is practical if friends are physically in another house or another country. Teleparty works with streaming platforms services like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO, and Amazon Prime.
Teleparty makes it easy to create online “TV parties” with a chat function. One may wonder if there is a risk of leakage of account data, chat or contact details? Is Teleparty chrome extension safe?
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Is Teleparty Safe? (formerly Netflix party Chrome extension)
Yes, Teleparty is safe and secure. A unique link is generated each time and you can only access the “TV night” with this link. Teleparty encrypts data to prevent data theft. It is unrelated to Netflix. They were forced to change the name app to avoid confusion with Netflix.
Cybersecurity
With my studies in cybersecurity, I am sensitive to online security and although Teleparty is safe to use, fact is zero risk does not exist.
Teleparty is a third-party service like many others that has access to internet browser data like browsing history and account informations.
So it’s important to read Teleparty’s privacy policies before using it and make sure you know what they collect and how they use it. You should also make sure that you are using an up-to-date version of the Teleparty extension to protect yourself against any potential security flaws from older versions.
Teleparty Security
But after reading their privacy and data security policy, I think Teleparty is no more risky than any other web extension.
Although data breachs exist, the biggest problem is in 95% of cases due to a user victim of phishing or a Trojan on the computer. Education must be user-centered.
Only people with the link can join a movie night
If your child is using this chrome extension, you need to make sure you know who they are sharing the generated link with. This link is the only thing that allows someone to access their “movie night”.
Likewise, if your child joins someone else’s group, you need to know who the person who gave them the access link is and who will be there.
A stranger is unlikely to enter the private online room with chat access. The biggest risk is that a child shares the private link on social media with public access. Strangers could connect and cause problems, especially since the extension allows more than 1000 people to connect at the same time.
But this risk is no different than any other risk on the Internet today. Your child could just as easily join a Discord room or WhatsApp group and find themselves talking to strangers.
You just have to educate your children and give conditions of use upstream. Teach them to correctly identify the people connected and keep an eye to see if all is well.
Safe to know, a link cannot be guessed and is not publicly available. In this way, only people who have received the invitation link can join a TV Party.
Personal data
Teleparty is currently used by over 10 million users. It’s a lot of people. They state they do not sell your data to third parties.
Saving usernames and passwords
Teleparty does not request your login credentials and passwords from Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc. platforms and it doesn’t save them either. It uses end-to-end encryption to show your screen to people with the link. Only the movie is shared and synchronized, no other browser tabs if multiple are open. There is no risk at this level.
Saving chat conversations
Teleparty has a chat to exchange in writing. It does not allow sharing videos, images or audio in the free version. A paid version allows other chat options ( Teleparty premium ).
Teleparty deletes the chat history from their servers when everyone leaves the “room”.
In the end, there’s really no way to verify if what they say is true. We trust or we don’t trust, it’s up to everyone to see but it should be noted that today the risk would be rather a leak of data from a hacking rather than a voluntary intention of Teleparty to sell these data.
How to use Teleparty securely
- Download Teleparty on Google Chrome
- Pin the TP icon to the top right of the browser
- Log in on computer on the platform you will be using (Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, HBO and Amazon Prime)
- Find a series, show or movie to watch.
- Then click on the “TP” icon at the top of the browser.
- A window will open to start the party, click “Start the Party” to create a unique link
- Share the link privately with the people you want to invite
To work, each participant will also need to download the Teleparty extension to access the link. In this way, the platform will synchronize the film for everyone at the same time.
To know: To join a movie night, each participant needs to have their own account. For example, it is not possible to use one Netflix account for everyone (unless this account allows account sharing and you have given your own personal codes to other people, which is not recommended ). For example, if you have 3 people with whom you want to watch a Netflix series together, each will need their own Netflix account to watch.
Full Teleparty Operation Video
Synchronization issues
Sometimes Teleparty has a slight transmission delay of a few seconds. According to user feedback on the internet, this remains moderate and may partly depend on the difference in speed of your internet connections.
Other problems may arise like connection issues.
In case of other troubles, remember to consult the frequently asked questions on this page. You will find all the answers to your most commun issues there. They can also be reached at team@teleparty.com
Conclusion
Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) is a Google Chrome extension that lets you watch series and movies from Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney+ and even Amazon Prime in sync with friends. A chat function also facilitate communications.
The extension is secure:
- It encrypts data to prevent theft
- It does not save the usernames and passwords of the platforms
- Generated “movie night” links are private (not public)
- It deletes the chat history after the last person disconnects
- It does not sell the data to third parties
The risk could be to share a generated movie night link on social networks accessible to the public. Raising children’s awareness of cybersecurity is a good practice and helps to avoid unpleasant surprises such as strangers connecting to the chat. As a parent, it is important to identify cho is connected to a TV party.
Setting up and using the Teleparty app is simple and safe. However if you have particular issues, you can find answers on their site.
