Along with social distancing and lockdown restrictions going on all across the globe. We’re all experiencing more time indoors than we might ever have as well. You guys can no longer head to theaters, restaurants, bars, and cinemas. In order to spend quality time with your loved ones, which for most of us would amount to their whole social activity. Just read this article to know all about Is Netflix Party Safe – How Does It Work?
Thankfully, there’s many stuff to kill time, also including playing online games, mobile games. Also, having a drinking game party over Zoom, and a lot more. However, you can always depend on Netflix and other streaming services for spending time leisurely on your own. Then it wouldn’t hurt to do the same with the bunch of friends and loved ones you mostly do it with, would it?
Netflix Party, basically a Google Chrome extension in order to help you watch TV shows and movies on Netflix together. Along with your friends and also discusses it with them like you guys would at a cinema hall or a night out. Although many publications have touted the service just like a savior amid COVID-19’s impact. There are still some unanswered questions regarding the newly-famous Chrome extension and if it is safe to use with your Netflix account.
Contents
- 1 Is Netflix Party safe?
- 1.1 Tips
- 1.2 Netflix Party isn’t officially related to Netflix
- 1.3 Make sure that your Netflix Party link stays within your friends’ circle
- 1.4 Many users get redirected to mysterious WikiLeaks videos
- 1.5 Many party groups are being invaded and threatened
- 1.6 Make sure your child is over 13 years of age | is netflix party safe
- 1.7 Netflix Party doesn’t abide to Do Not Track feature
- 1.8 Netflix Party can access and use your info and location as it deems necessary
- 1.9 Share your info with vendors, service providers, and law enforcement
- 1.10 Conclusion
Is Netflix Party safe?
This is a billion-dollar question and really common too. It often comes to people’s minds whenever they are planning to host a virtual Netflix party. You guys mustn’t share your personal information alongwith others whenever you are hosting a Netflix party.
However, yes, there is a certain amount of risk, and we do not deny that. And here are many tips:
Tips
- Just check the privacy policy before installing the NP extension. Your friends should be careful too and must not share the link along with anyone else outside your group. There is actually no password protection, and you guys must keep that in mind.
- If your kids are having a virtual party, then abide by the protocols – that he or she should be 13 years or older. Netflix party states this rule really clearly. Try to monitor what your kids are watching from time to time via enabling parental controls. Because kids tend to be quite susceptible, then it would be best to tell your child not to share the link with others. They should be supervised at all steps actually. However, yes, let them have some fun.
- Netflix Party uses trackers, that enables it to analyze browsing behavior! However, this shouldn’t be a problem if you guys are okay with targeted advertisements. But, if you are okay along with taking the risk, go ahead and enjoy shows along with your friends. It even permits you in order to discuss them and share your views the way you did at the theatre before the pandemic hit as well.
- In this regard, you guys should note that Netflix Party is not officially a Netflix product and that you can also use it via Google Chrome. It is a third-party add-on, that makes it somewhat risky.
- You can even get exposed to mysterious links as well. This is risky if your kid is having a virtual party like the videos might not be apt for his or her age.
- The Netflix party doesn’t abide via the feature, “Do not track”, that makes it lesser reliable. We also have even heard about some party groups being threatened. So you guys might have to check the same.
- You should know Netflix Party can use your information and even also track your location.
Netflix Party is not officially a Netflix product, that means Netflix is neither the creator nor does it endorse the use of Netflix Party. The service can be only used through Google Chrome and the fact. That it is a third-party add-on to Netflix makes it less reliable actually. Futrher, Chrome extensions are known to be a major means to employ malicious code on systems. And if you do want to use Netflix Party, you’re doing it at your own risk as well.
Make sure that your Netflix Party link stays within your friends’ circle
Whenever you create a Netflix Party, you get a shareable link that many others can use to join the party and watch shows and movies on Netflix together. Because anyone with your Netflix Party link can join, it’s important that the shareable link stays within your friends’ circle. And doesn’t even reach the hands of strangers or potential cybercriminals.
Many users get redirected to mysterious WikiLeaks videos
Both a Twitter user and Vice have reported that during their Netflix Party sessions actually. Their currently playing titles were actually replace along with DailyMotion videos showing random Wikileaks footage. And urged viewers in order to appeal the extradition of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. If your children are via Netflix Party to watch shows and movies along with their friends, you might want to reconsider. Because some of these WikiLeaks videos would not be appropriate for their age as well.
Many party groups are being invaded and threatened
In the same post mentioned above, Vice reports that a lot of people experienced that strangers were able to interrupt their watching sessions whenever using Netflix Party. According to the report, one user also noticed that an uninvited member had joined the session referring to themselves. Like a character from the current movie and began sending threatening texts via Netflix Party’s chat feature.
Make sure your child is over 13 years of age | is netflix party safe
Netflix Party’s Privacy Policy mentions that the service is actually designed for children up to 13 years of age. You guys might be able to supervise what your kid watches on Netflix via Netflix’s parental controls. However, the fact remains that anyone along with a link can join the party group.
Another thing to note is that any member of a Netflix Party will be able to share external links. That could leave your child exposed in order to unsupervised content also even if you know other members in the Netflix Party group.
Netflix Party doesn’t abide to Do Not Track feature
Modern web browsers come along with a “Do not track” feature that avoids sharing browsing data and disables trackers whenever a user is on the internet. Netflix Party says that because there’s “no accepted standard for responding to Do Not Track signals”. It doesn’t to a browser’s DNT feature, that means it still employs trackers that scan your browsing habits and serve you along with targeted ads that will be relevant to you as well.
Netflix Party can access and use your info and location as it deems necessary
Netflix Party’s latest privacy policy still acknowledges that the service collects information regarding the “use of the Service” actually. This information can also include your location, “unique identifiers”, and also automatically generated information such as your preferences and usage statistics. This actually means Netflix Party will be able to recognize the features that you accessed. That could also include the titles that you guys watched and the place you watched it from.
Another detail we noticed from the service’s privacy policy is basically that Netflix Party will not only use your info and location. However, also share them with vendors and service providers also including their payment processors and auditors.
The service has mentioned that they may disclose user data to law enforcement because they comply with requests like court orders or subpoenas. It’s not necessarily bad because a lot of services require to do so, however, you may want to keep that in mind.
Conclusion
Well, That is all from my side. If you want to know more about this “is netflix party safe” article or have any queries. Then feel free to ask me anything in the comments section below.
Have a Good Day!