Clubhouse will issue security update over Chinese data-sharing concerns
Clubhouse didn't officially release in China and it was also banned just days ago, but the app's creators are still nervous enough to take action.
Sometime during the long U.S. holiday weekend, developer Alpha Exploration Co. will make backend changes that will boost the service's encryption and prevent user ID pings from being routed through servers in China. The Clubhouse dev also pledged to have "an external data security firm...review and validate these changes."
The move follows a detailed report from the Stanford Internet Observatory (SIO) revealing the audio chat app's previously unreported links to a tech interest in China. Agora is a "video, voice and live interactive streaming platform" that provides backend services to Clubhouse — namely hosting and piping the app's raw audio across the internet.
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This is particularly worrisome, as the SIO notes, because "a user’s unique Clubhouse ID number and chatroom ID are transmitted in plaintext, and Agora would likely have access to users’ raw audio." Imagine a Chinese citizen hosts a chat on a provocative subject, and the accompanying data is subsequently able to connect the user and Clubhouse ID to audio from the chat.
Agora is jointly headquartered in the U.S. and China, which means the company is subject to the latter's restrictive cybersecurity law requiring it to provide aid in any criminal or national security investigation. And although Agora claims that it doesn't store any audio or user data, there are genuine concerns about data privacy when it comes to Chinese companies.
The specifics here get fairly technical, but Clubhouse does store user audio temporarily for trust and safety investigations. That audio is stored in the U.S. — which effectively puts it outside the Chinese government's reach — but it could still be at risk if an outside partner, such as, say, Agora, held the audio somewhere inside China.
As a result of SIO's thorough investigation, which you should definitely read through for more specifics, Clubhouse is going to see some backend changes. The report ends with a statement from Alpha Exploration running through the plans.
"With the help of researchers at the Stanford Internet Observatory, we have identified a few areas where we can further strengthen our data protection," the statement reads, going on to explain the changes described at the outset of this story. "We welcome collaboration with the security and privacy community as we continue to grow."
As we reported earlier in the week, it's not clear exactly what earned Clubhouse an official ban in China. There's probably no single reason. Although the app was never released there, as Alpha Exploration explained in its SIO statement, people in China found workarounds that allowed them to get online.
h/t Engadget
Topics Social Media Politics
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
