Is Teleparty Safe? (Formerly Called Netflix Party) YES, but…
Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and even YouTube shows and movies in perfect sync with friends from around the globe.
There is even a chat feature so you can discuss the show/movie with friends in real time, as you’re viewing. It’s basically a virtual living room for movie night with remote friends. But is it safe?
Is Netflix Party Safe (now called Teleparty)?
Yes, Teleparty (formerly Netflix Party) is safe for all ages. A unique link is generated for each showing and you can only access the “party” if you have that exact link. It uses end-to-end encryption and they constantly delete chat history off their servers. It is worth mentioning that Netflix has no affiliation.
Just like anything on the internet, it’s healthy to have some level of concern about safety and privacy.
But after taking a look at their Privacy Policy and reading through some of their data security practices, I do believe Teleparty is relatively safe to use.
Safety
Ultimately, safety starts with the user.
If your kid is using this extension, you should make sure you know who they are sharing the generated link with. That link is the only thing that grants someone access to their “party.”
Similarly, if your child is joining someone else’s party, it would be wise to know who’s sending the access link.
I don’t think there is any real risk of a stranger entering the party or chat. The risk is that your kid shares the link with a bunch of random people on Reddit or some other platform and a bunch of strangers join.
But that risk is no different than any other risk on the internet today. Your child could just as easily join a random chat room on some other site and talk to strangers there.
So what I’m saying is just enact basic parental guidelines when/if your children use this extension. Make sure you know who generated the link and who will be joining.
That’s all.
And just a quick side note: this extension does not involve video or picture sharing at all. It is strictly chat.
Privacy
Teleparty is currently used by over 10 million users. That’s a lot of people and even more data!
Luckily Teleparty uses end-to-end encryption and they don’t store any of your account details or passwords to third-party streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.
They also completely delete the chat history off their servers as soon as every one leaves a given party.
Teleparty also declared that they do not sell your data to third parties.
Ultimately though, we have to just take their word for it. As mentioned above, Netflix has zero affiliation with this product- it was created by a guy who funds it using Patreon.
That’s why it’s 100% free, he uses the donations he collects to invest back into the project.
But these days, I think I may actually trust an individual person more than any of the giant media companies…
How does it work?
To start, you have to log in to the streaming service that you’ll use with Teleparty. They currently support Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO, Amazon Prime, and YouTube.
And just so you know, everyone who joins the party will need their own UNIQUE streaming account. For example, if you have 3 friends who you want to start a party with to watch a Hulu show, each friend will need their own unique Hulu account in order to join.
After you’ve selected the streaming service, it’s time to find a show or movie to watch. Navigate the streaming service’s library like normal and when you land on the show you want, click on the TP icon at the top of your web browser.
A popup will ask you to “Start the Party.” Once you do, a unique link will be generated that you can then directly share with your friends.
Keep in mind they will need to have the Teleparty extension downloaded in order to access the link!
That’s it! Teleparty should handle the rest, keeping your show perfectly in sync and allowing you to chat with your friends in real time as you watch.
Troubleshooting
Teleparty has been reported to fall out of sync occasionally. It sounds like at most, you might be 20 seconds behind, or ahead of your friends.
But sometimes there are more technical issues that arise when installing and using the extension. Luckily they’ve put together a pretty helpful FAQ page that you can reference if you get stuck.
And if that doesn’t help resolve your issues, then I would consider emailing them. They can be reached directly at [email protected].
Conclusion
Teleparty is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to watch Netflix, Hulu, HBO, Disney+, Amazon Prime, and YouTube shows and movies in sync with your friends.
There is also a chat feature so you can talk with your friends during the show!
The extension is relatively safe to use:
- It uses end-to-end encryption
- They delete all chat history off their servers as soon as the last person leaves the party
- There is no selling of your data to third parties
- They don’t store your username or password for third-party streaming services
- Every party has a uniquely generated link that is required in order to join
But safety, especially with kids, starts with the user.
As long as you know who your child is sharing the generated link to access the party with (or who shared the link with them), then you should be fine.
If you run into any issues when installing or using the product you can visit their FAQ guide or, as a last resort, you can try contacting them directly a [email protected].
So, is Teleparty safe to use? Yup, more than likely! Thanks for reading!
