THE NEUTRAL ZONE
On Monday, numerous technology publications reported that Zoom, the videoconferencing software and app provider, was sharing data with Facebook, even if users were not Facebook. Today, the Intercept reports that, under certain circumstances, meetings are not encrypted end-to-end.
MEDIA PERSPECTIVE
Zoom Meetings Aren’t End-to-End Encrypted, Despite Misleading Marketing – The Intercept – 3/31/20
Zoom, the video conferencing service whose use has spiked amid the Covid-19 pandemic, claims to implement end-to-end encryption, widely understood as the most private form of internet communication, protecting conversations from all outside parties. In fact, Zoom is using its own definition of the term, one that lets Zoom itself access unencrypted video and audio from meetings.
Zoom Falsely Claims Its Group Video Can Be End-to-End Encrypted – Daring Fireball – 3/31/20
If video chat is only encrypted in transit between clients and Zoom’s servers, say so. That’s less than ideal, but it is what it is, and as The Intercept quotes an expert, E2E encryption is particularly hard with high-quality group video and audio. But lying about it is unconscionable. And again, like Zoom’s other issues, this can’t be explained as an honest mistake. It’s deliberate. “End-to-end” is not open to interpretation.
INFLUENCER PERSPECTIVE
Leandro Olivia on Twitter, 03/31/20: Zoom has quickly become ubiquitous with life in the time of global pandemic. What you should know: your meetings are not end-to-end encrypted, despite misleading marketing. @yaelwrites & @micahflee explain:
Alison Killing on Twitter, 03/31/20: Zoom isn’t doing E2E encryption afterall.’Without end-to-end encryption, Zoom has the technical ability to spy on private video meetings and could be compelled to hand over recordings of meetings to govts or law enforcement in response to legal requests.’
