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The video conferencing company Zoom has agreed to a settlement resolving Federal Trade Commission (FTC) claims of deception surrounding Zoom security issues.
However, while the deal was meant to rectify accusations of wrongdoing on Zoom’s part, two of the five FTC commissioners said the agreement didn’t go far enough.
Zoom has been accused of misleading users about data encryption and of installing a web server onto users’ computers without their consent in order to get around a browser security feature, according to one commissioner’s dissenting statement. The server allegedly remains even if a user uninstalls Zoom.
Following an investigation, the FTC has ordered several actions to satisfy the complaints.
Zoom has agreed to not misrepresent its “collection, maintenance, use, deletion or disclosure of any Covered Information,” according to the order. “Covered information” includes users’ names, addresses, email addresses and other online contact information, Social Security numbers, phone numbers, and other similar personal information.
The company is also barred from misrepresenting security features that affect a third-party security feature; the extent to which a user is able to control the security of information collected by Zoom, as well as the steps users need to take to implement that control; the categories of third parties’ Zoom allows to access such information; and the extent to which Zoom controls the security and confidentiality of the covered information.
The FTC’s order on Zoom security measures includes dozens of other of requirements to ensure the company takes user privacy seriously. Among these are:
- All copies of covered information identified for deletion will be deleted within 31 days;
- Zoom has agreed to assessment by a third party to ensure the company is complying with the FTC’s order;
- Zoom must annually certify a senior corporate manager with the FTC regarding the company’s compliance with the order;
- Zoom has agreed to establish and implement a “comprehensive information security program” that will protect users’ covered information, according to the order;
- The company will implement a review by Zoom security personnel of all new software or software updates before they are released.
Among the litany of changes to Zoom security ordered by the FTC are some that consumers will notice on the user end.
For example, recorded meetings to be stored on users’ devices will be named with a “default, randomized naming convention,” and Zoom will instruct users to use a unique filename when saving these meetings.
However, two of the five FTC commissioners said the agency’s 14-page order didn’t go far enough in addressing the Zoom security issues.
“Zoom has ‘cashed in’ on the pandemic,” commissioner Rohit Chopra said in his dissent, pointing out Zoom CEO Eric Yuan’s net worth has increased by nearly $16 billion since March.
“Zoom stands ready to emerge as a tech titan,” he continued. “But we should all be questioning whether Zoom and other tech titans expanded their empires through deception. Zoom could have taken the time to ensure that its security was up to the right standards. But, in my view, Zoom saw the opportunity for massive growth by quickly leaping into the consumer market, allowing it to rapidly emerge as the new way to virtually celebrate birthdays and weddings and further solidify itself into our lives. But had Zoom followed the law, it might all be different.”
Fellow dissenting commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter wrote the FTC’s order failed in multiple areas.
“For a company offering services such as Zoom’s, users must be able to trust that the company is committed to ensuring security and privacy alike,” Slaughter wrote.
“Because the proposed resolution fails to require Zoom to address privacy as well as security, and because it fails to require Zoom to take any steps to correct the deception we charge it perpetrated on its paying clients, I respectfully dissent.”
Zoom has been the target of a number of class action lawsuits accusing Zoom security of being insufficient.
In May, an online pole-dancing class was viewed by “uninvited men,” prompting the teacher to file a class action lawsuit.
A 400-person video conference on the platform was interrupted by child pornography in June, allegedly because Zoom unlawfully shared users’ information with third parties, such as Facebook, and failed to provide adequate information security.
A Bible study allegedly had been similarly interrupted in May.
In August, advocacy group Consumer Watchdog filed a class action lawsuit accusing Zoom of falsely advertising that consumers’ information was secured using end-to-end encryption.
Do you use Zoom? Do have any concerns about Zoom security? Let us know in the comments below.
The Zoom Security Issues Settlement is In the Matter of Zoom Video Communications Inc., FTC File No. 1923167, in the United States of America before the Federal Trade Commission.
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61 thoughts onZoom Has Reached a Settlement with the FTC over Security Concerns
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Please add me I used zoom for my doctor’s appointment and counseling appointment.i had to delete because they keep saying I have an issue with the zoom app.after I delete it it still stayed on my phone I had to do a factory reset to remove it’s app.
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Dont care for zoom. Always have problems
Please add me and alert me to updates.
Covid-19 has caused us to rely on ZOOM meetings and to use ZOOM for our community events.