Zoom’s Additional Encryption Measures Will Only Protect Paying Users

The enhanced encryption measures announced by Zoom this week will only protect paying customers of the videoconferencing platform, according to the company’s CEO. Although Zoom said it will allow paying users to fully encrypt their video communications—a response to the security and privacy flaws that EPIC and others have identified—the platform will still be able to access the real-time communications of non-paying users. “Free users for sure we don't want to give [end-to-end-encryption] because we also want to work together with FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose,” Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said. Last year, EPIC sent a detailed complaint to the FTC citing numerous privacy and security flaws with Zoom and warning that the company had "exposed users to the risk of remote surveillance, unwanted video calls, and denial-of-service attack." In April, EPIC urged the FTC to open an investigation. Zoom’s announcement follows a recent settlement with the New York Attorney General over the company’s consumer safeguards.