Video conferencing app Zoom has decided to roll back on initial plans and is now making end to end encryption available for all users around the globe.
Zoom continues to find a balance between privacy and security. Close on the heels of backlash for lack of end to end encryption for free users, Zoom has made E2EE available as an advanced add-on feature for all of users around the globe – free and paid.
The company released version 2Opens a new window of the design documentation for E2EE on GitHub on Wednesday.
The announcement comes nearly a month after Zoom acquired KeybaseOpens a new window to augment and scale their E2EE capabilities.
E2EE will be available as beta July onwards and only verified users will be able to leverage the new E2EE protection. Previously anyone could join in on public meetings with an invitation link, which made them meeting participants and not actual users.
Now, if those participants would like to leverage Zoom’s free end to end encryption, they’d have to register and verify, which will likely shoot Zoom’s user base even higher. Users can get verified through a one time SMS verification of their phone numbers.
E2EE is an optional feature, meaning it can be turned on or off by individuals and admins. When turned on, users on PSTN (public switched telephone network) audio conferencing tools, SIP/H.323 hardware conference room systems or other third-party tools won’t be able to join in. Zoom will continue to implement AES 256 GCM by default for encryption.
Zoom’s recent rise made it the most downloaded app globally in April, edging out TikTok but the video conferencing major is surrounded by a string of privacy concerns.
“There are over 500,000+ stolen ZoomOpens a new window logins floating around the dark web for just .002 cents each. And this is just opening the door for account takeover (ATO) attacks via credential stuffing — a type of cyberattack where automated bots use those stolen account credentials to gain unauthorized access to user accounts,†Jumio’s CEO,Opens a new window Robert Prigge shared with Toolbox.
If Zoom doesn’t find a balance between privacy and security soon, it could very well head down Facebook’s way that has taken a severe public beating over false privacy claims.
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