Security concerns arise over popular Clubhouse app after ties to China-based company revealed on February 25, 2021, 7:35 AM PST The Stanford Internet Observatory alleged that the Chinese government may have had access to audio data from Clubhouse. Here's what users should know. Getty Images/iStockphoto More about cybersecurity Stanford's Cyber Policy Center confirmed on Feb. 12 that tools from Shanghai-based company Agora were serving as the backbone of Clubhouse, which has gained thousands of new users in recent months thanks to celebrity speakers like Elon Musk, Oprah, Aston Kutcher and other business leaders. Additionally, the observatory found that "a user's unique Clubhouse ID number and chatroom ID are transmitted in plaintext, and Agora would likely have access to users' raw audio, potentially providing access to the Chinese government."