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Video conferencing company Zoom Video Communications, whose internet application has become a mainstay of American life during the coronavirus pandemic, has agreed to pay $85 million and improve its security practices to settle a lawsuit that it claims violated the privacy of its users.
The lawsuit, filed in March 2020, shortly after the outbreak reached the United States, claimed that Zoom shared personal data with third-party internet services and allowed hackers to “supposedly” interrupt online meetings.zoom“A phenomenon where internet trolls take advantage of a screen sharing feature in a video conferencing app to show offensive messages or images.
Under the deal, which still requires approval from a federal judge, Zoom subscribers will be eligible for a 15 percent refund on their primary subscription, or $25, whichever is greater. Other users can get up to $15 cashback.
The company also agreed to notify users when others use third-party apps during meetings and to train employees on privacy and data handling.
“The privacy and security of our users is a top priority for Zoom, and we take the trust our users place in us seriously,” the company said in a statement. “We are proud of the progress we have made on our platform and look forward to continuing to innovate with privacy and security at the forefront.”
Agreeing to settle the case, the company denied any wrongdoing.
In the spring of 2020, 14 class action complaints were filed against the company. zoom, a widely discussed phenomenon that often includes pornography and racist language during the first weeks of lockdown. This included, for example, broadcasting white supremacist messages during a webinar on anti-Semitism.
In May, the US District Court for the Northern District of California consolidated several complaints into a single class action lawsuit.
The lawsuit also alleged that Zoom shared users’ personal data with third-party services such as Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, falsely telling users that its service provides end-to-end encryption, a security measure aimed at preventing outsiders from eavesdropping. about online communication.
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