Zoom to roll out end-to-end encryption after privacy concerns
Video conferencing platform Zoom has announced it will roll out end-to-end encryption to all customers, following mounting criticism from civil rights groups over security concerns.
The announcement marks a sharp U-turn for the networking app, which last week said it would start providing end-to-end encryption services for paying customers only.
Eric Yuan, chief executive of Zoom, last week said he planned to exclude free calls from end-to-end encryption so the app would “work together with the FBI [and] local enforcement, in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose”.
However, Yuan last night backtracked on his claims after sparking outrage among privacy activists and civil rights groups, including digital rights group Fight for the Future, who said that “basic security shouldn’t be a premium feature that’s only available to wealthy individuals and big corporations”.
Yuan said conservations with child safety organisations and security advocacy groups had swayed his decision. “We have identified a path forward that balances the legitimate right of all users to privacy and the safety of users on our platform,” he added.
The feature, which is set to be rolled out next month, will not be on by default, but instead will ask users if they want to turn on the higher-grade encryption for additional information.
It comes as Zoom has seen a surge in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic, as lockdowns across the world have forced people, businesses and even G20 summits to migrate online. The video conferencing platform now has more than 300m daily users, up from just 10m in December.
Revenue at the California-based firm ballooned 169 per cent to $328.2m (£260.8m) in the most recent quarter, and the company’s valuation has increased around 250 per cent so far this year.
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