When everyone began to stay at home, Zoom also began to grow in popularity. Everyone wanting to stay in touch decided to hop on the platform. In fact, in just three months the number of users jumped from 10 million to 200 million! However, as with any platform and site we use we also want to make sure it’s safe and secure. Unfortunately, Zoom is attracting attention for all the wrong reasons lately.
Zoom Heading for Doom?
Zoom likes to boast about the multitude and variety of services it provides. The number one service is holding meetings whether with your family, friends, colleagues, or class. Additionally, you can change your background, stack meetings, and record the whole experience.
However, it recently came to attention that the platform isn’t as secure as it would have you believe. A number of problems began popping up causing users to worry about their privacy.
Firstly, the waiting room feature allows hosts to keep would-be participants in a digital queue pending approval. Those in the waiting room are not in the meeting and therefore should not be watching the live video session. But users in waiting rooms found themselves receiving live video data even if they haven’t been approved.
Next, thousands of video recordings have been uploaded online in the form of video clips. While users can indeed record their sessions, these recordings should remain in the hands of the user. Instead, thousands are now online which viewers can find with the use of keywords. This includes corporate meetings, therapy sessions, and who knows what else.
Lastly, some Zoom users are finding themselves to be the victims of ‘Zoombombing’ which is when hackers hijack your meeting. They then might put up indecent materials such as racist slurs or inappropriate images. Unfortunately, they might also access any sensitive information in that meeting.
Some Alternatives
As a result of these issues, many companies are advising employees to stay away from Zoom. As companies move towards other platforms, you should consider doing so as well. Here are a few platforms that you can use instead of Zoom.
First we have Google Hangouts Meet which provides easy to join video calls and is linked to your Google account. Next, Blue Jeans also gives users a variety of functions to make use of.
Cisco Webex Meetings is also a great platform with different packages to suit your needs. We also have Jitsi Meet which allows you to put passwords on your meetings so you have more security!
