**The Dark Side of Zoom: Understanding the Platform's Privacy Issues**

If you're like me, cooped up in the house with limited human interaction, you've probably become reliant on video chatting platforms like Zoom to stay connected with friends and family. But as Zoom has grown in popularity, so have its privacy issues. With over 200 million users, including business meetings, remote learning, and even social chats, it's no wonder that Zoom has become a lightning rod for criticism.

**The Basics of Zoom Plans**

There are different flavors of Zoom plans, each with its own set of features. The free or basic plan is suitable for regular users, allowing them to host calls, set up video chats, and have group meetings using a meeting ID. Anyone who has that ID can access the call, whether they're accessing it through their browser, app, or by dialing in. However, as you start getting into paid plans, things get more serious. Paid plans offer no time limits on calls, allow for larger groups, and most importantly, enable recording of meetings.

**The Issue with Recording Meetings**

When a host records a meeting, everything is recorded – audio, video, and even public chat messages. These chats can be viewed by the Zoom admin, including your boss or teacher, long after the call has ended. This raises serious concerns about privacy and security. According to reports, even private chats on paid plans are not entirely secure, as they can be accessed by admins. Furthermore, recordings stay around for 30 days, giving you a headache if you've said something embarrassing.

**Zoom Bombing: The Unwelcome Visitor**

One of the most concerning aspects of Zoom is the phenomenon known as "zoom bombing." This occurs when someone finds your personal meeting ID and uses it to break into a call uninvited. They can flood the call with graphic images or engage in other malicious activities, causing chaos for the host and other attendees. It's essential to never share your personal meeting ID online, as this increases the risk of being targeted by zoom bombers.

**Security Issues and Controversies**

In recent months, Zoom has faced a series of security issues and controversies. In early April, the company removed a feature called attention tracking, which allowed admins to see whether your Zoom window was open and active on your screen during a presentation. This raised concerns about surveillance and monitoring. Additionally, researchers discovered that Zoom had shared users' personal information with Facebook without their consent and had scraped LinkedIn profiles without knowledge or permission.

**Encryption and Security Concerns**

One of the most pressing issues surrounding Zoom is its encryption. The company initially claimed to use end-to-end encryption but was later found to have links to servers in China, raising concerns about government surveillance and data sharing. Furthermore, security researchers discovered vulnerabilities in the platform's encryption, leading some governments to use Zoom for top-secret meetings.

**Zoom's Response and Future Plans**

In response to these security issues, Zoom has vowed to prioritize user safety and privacy. The company has updated its features with measures such as waiting rooms before calls and passwords turned on by default. Furthermore, it has published a blog post emphasizing its commitment to fixing security and privacy concerns.

**Staying Safe on Zoom**

So, should you still be using Zoom? While the platform is convenient for remote work and socializing, it's essential to take precautions to protect your privacy. Don't share your meeting ID online or use a one-time meeting ID; instead, create a new account for social chats. Set up a password and keep your personal info private. By taking these simple steps, you can minimize the risks associated with using Zoom.

In conclusion, while Zoom has revolutionized remote communication, its growth has come at a cost. With concerns over security, privacy, and surveillance, it's essential to understand the platform's issues and take steps to protect yourself.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enstuck at home then you're probably spending half of your waking hours on zoom' calls but if you want to keep your meetings and importantly your chats private then there's a few things you should do right now if you cooped up in the house like me then zoom has probably become your one contact with the outside world be there outside world so much the video chatting platform has become massive for everything from business meetings to remote learning even just catching up with friends at the end of 2019 they had 10 million users by March 2020 that went up to 200 million users but zoom has also had its fair share of issues and I'm not just talking about the terrible camera angles on calls I think I have it on how do you see me you maybe you turn your camera on oh if we can do all that then that shot better zoom has come under fire for some pretty serious privacy problems people spying on your calls zoom sharing your personal information without you knowing about it and something that I just learned you're not the only person who can see your chance ok let's start with the basics there are a few different flavors of zoom plans the free or basic plan is pretty much for regular users it lets you do things like host calls set up video chats and do group meetings with a meeting ID anyone who has that ID can access the call whether they're coming into your browser the app or just by dialing in but when you start getting into paid plans that's when you get a lot more features there are no time limits on calls you can have way more people in the calls and most importantly you can record meetings and that's where things start to get really interesting now when a host records a meeting everything is recorded now you get a folder at the end with the video of the meeting audio as well as all of the public chat messages that were sent saved as plain text not only that but those chats can be viewed by your zoom admin say your boss even if they weren't on the call now this doesn't include private chats but if you record a meeting with a colleague then everything you say on public chat is saved and it could come back to haunt you this is why it's not a good idea to use your work or your school zoom account for social calls if you hit the record button then those public chats stay around 30 days and your admin can see everything it's probably a good idea to just set up a separate free account for your social calls and then you can trash talk all you like oh tell me about it what a but your boss or your teacher isn't the only one who can see what you're up to on zoom' calls and that's where a zoom bombing comes in now this is where someone finds your personal meeting ID and uses it to break into a zoom call uninvited potentially flooding the call with graphic images at the same time now it's security issues like this that have led some school districts to ban the use of zoom for virtual teaching that's why you should never share your personal meeting ID online and why you should use a password just to make sure strangers can't come in uninvited but it's important to know that zoom bombing isn't the only issue that zoom has had in recent months in early April zoom removed a feature called attention tracking which allowed admins to see whether your zoom window was open and active on your screen during a presentation they could also give you an attention score out of a hundred the company copped flack for sharing information with Facebook without users consent and for also scraping users LinkedIn profiles without their knowledge and then there's encryption now zoom had previously said that they used end-to-end encryption but researchers from the University of Toronto found serious issues with their security including links to servers in China with governments around the world using zoom for top-secret meetings then those kinds of security issues become a really big problem now zoom has tried to reassure its 200 million customers that it takes security and privacy really seriously it's updated with features like waiting rooms before calls and passwords turned on by default the company also published a blog post at the start of April saying that it was going to focus all its efforts on fixing these kinds of security and privacy issues so the big question should you still be using soon quite frankly soon is really handy if you try to get work done remotely but it's important to remember you can stay safe with just a couple of steps don't share your meeting ID online or if you want to be even safer then use a one-time meeting ID set up a password and importantly if you want to keep trash-talking with your friends just start a new account so you can keep your chat private either way remember there's one really great feature of zoom calls pants optional no I can't hear you can you see me now no really good actually now I mute it it's fine I always wear pants on video callstuck at home then you're probably spending half of your waking hours on zoom' calls but if you want to keep your meetings and importantly your chats private then there's a few things you should do right now if you cooped up in the house like me then zoom has probably become your one contact with the outside world be there outside world so much the video chatting platform has become massive for everything from business meetings to remote learning even just catching up with friends at the end of 2019 they had 10 million users by March 2020 that went up to 200 million users but zoom has also had its fair share of issues and I'm not just talking about the terrible camera angles on calls I think I have it on how do you see me you maybe you turn your camera on oh if we can do all that then that shot better zoom has come under fire for some pretty serious privacy problems people spying on your calls zoom sharing your personal information without you knowing about it and something that I just learned you're not the only person who can see your chance ok let's start with the basics there are a few different flavors of zoom plans the free or basic plan is pretty much for regular users it lets you do things like host calls set up video chats and do group meetings with a meeting ID anyone who has that ID can access the call whether they're coming into your browser the app or just by dialing in but when you start getting into paid plans that's when you get a lot more features there are no time limits on calls you can have way more people in the calls and most importantly you can record meetings and that's where things start to get really interesting now when a host records a meeting everything is recorded now you get a folder at the end with the video of the meeting audio as well as all of the public chat messages that were sent saved as plain text not only that but those chats can be viewed by your zoom admin say your boss even if they weren't on the call now this doesn't include private chats but if you record a meeting with a colleague then everything you say on public chat is saved and it could come back to haunt you this is why it's not a good idea to use your work or your school zoom account for social calls if you hit the record button then those public chats stay around 30 days and your admin can see everything it's probably a good idea to just set up a separate free account for your social calls and then you can trash talk all you like oh tell me about it what a but your boss or your teacher isn't the only one who can see what you're up to on zoom' calls and that's where a zoom bombing comes in now this is where someone finds your personal meeting ID and uses it to break into a zoom call uninvited potentially flooding the call with graphic images at the same time now it's security issues like this that have led some school districts to ban the use of zoom for virtual teaching that's why you should never share your personal meeting ID online and why you should use a password just to make sure strangers can't come in uninvited but it's important to know that zoom bombing isn't the only issue that zoom has had in recent months in early April zoom removed a feature called attention tracking which allowed admins to see whether your zoom window was open and active on your screen during a presentation they could also give you an attention score out of a hundred the company copped flack for sharing information with Facebook without users consent and for also scraping users LinkedIn profiles without their knowledge and then there's encryption now zoom had previously said that they used end-to-end encryption but researchers from the University of Toronto found serious issues with their security including links to servers in China with governments around the world using zoom for top-secret meetings then those kinds of security issues become a really big problem now zoom has tried to reassure its 200 million customers that it takes security and privacy really seriously it's updated with features like waiting rooms before calls and passwords turned on by default the company also published a blog post at the start of April saying that it was going to focus all its efforts on fixing these kinds of security and privacy issues so the big question should you still be using soon quite frankly soon is really handy if you try to get work done remotely but it's important to remember you can stay safe with just a couple of steps don't share your meeting ID online or if you want to be even safer then use a one-time meeting ID set up a password and importantly if you want to keep trash-talking with your friends just start a new account so you can keep your chat private either way remember there's one really great feature of zoom calls pants optional no I can't hear you can you see me now no really good actually now I mute it it's fine I always wear pants on video call\n"