Zoom isn't beefing up security for free users so that it's better able to 'work with law enforcement' (ZM)

Ben Gilbert

June 3, 2020 3:59 PM

When the coronavirus pandemic hit, millions of people around the world were suddenly using Zoom, putting the videoconferencing software ahead of rivals like Google Meet and Microsoft's Skype.

eric yuan zoom ceo

A number of security concerns have been raised as the service has gained popularity, including that Zoom was not using end-to-end encryption to protect call data.
The company announced on it's earnings call Tuesday that paid users would receive a security update that includes higher encryption. Calls made on the unpaid version of Zoom will not get the added security.
Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said excluding the unpaid service from the update was intentional, "because we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose."
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Zoom, the video call software that has exploded in popularity during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is increasing security features on the service.

On the company's earnings call on Tuesday, CEO Eric Yuan announced the addition of end-to-end encryption for paid and enterprise users. Users on the free version of the service, however, will not get that same added security.

Moreover, Yuan said unpaid accounts were excluded from this higher level encryption, "because we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose."

Zoom last week confirmed to Reuters that the new encryption features would only apply to paid users, leaving free accounts with low-level security.

The service's paid accounts start at $15/month, and there are a variety of different plan options depending on which features a customer wants.

As the service has hoovered up new users by the millions, the company has faced scrutiny over security issues everything from unwanted meeting attendees (so-called " Zoombombing ") to a class action lawsuit that alleges the company shared analytics data with Facebook without alerting users.

Unlike Google Meet and Microsoft's Skype, Zoom was built with business in mind, and the service was primarily used by membership-paying companies until the pandemic forced millions of people indoors and into video calls.

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