Zoom Video Communications

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Zoom Video Communications, Inc.

logo
legal form Inc.
ISIN US98980L1017
founding 2011
Seat San Jose , California , United States
United StatesUnited States 
management Eric Yuan
Number of employees 2,532 (2019)
sales $ 622.7 million (2019)
Branch software
Website zoom.us
As of June 3, 2020

Zoom Video Communications is a US software company based in San José , California , that provides software for video conferencing . The company came under fire for privacy and security deficiencies, to which it responded with updates.

history

The company was founded in 2011 by Eric Yuan . In 2013 the software was released; In 2014 a chat function followed for video calls and support for webinars and open video conference rooms. In 2017 the first user conference took place and the company opened offices in Australia and the UK. VoIP calls and zoom apps have been supported since 2018 . The company went public in April 2019. It sees itself as the market leader for pure video conferencing.

According to its own statements, Zoom uses 13 server locations.

Corona crisis

During the COVID-19 pandemic , the number of users rose from 10 million in December 2019 to over 200 million monthly users in March 2020, which also increased the value of the company's shares to more than 40 billion US dollars. The service was not only used by companies, but also by schools and universities for online teaching and in the private sector. Zoom then expanded the functionality of the free version.

At the same time, the company came under criticism due to data protection and security deficiencies. Many companies and authorities then banned the use of Zoom for video conferences of their employees or servants. Zoom then improved the software. The usability and stability of the service were praised.

Products

The central product is "Zoom Meetings", a service with which users can take part in online video conferences in HD quality via a desktop or smartphone app, via a web interface, by telephone or via a conference room system . Users can exchange text messages and files via a chat and use a virtual whiteboard . Zoom video conferences can be split up, allow screen sharing (also for smartphones) and can be recorded and transcribed . Zoom is interoperable with video conferencing services from other providers. Video conferences between users dialed in using Zoom's own software should be end-to-end encrypted (see below, however).

A limited use of the service for the organization of video conferences is free of charge for registered users, in particular the duration of video conferences with groups is usually limited to 40 minutes.

"Zoom Rooms" and "Zoom Conference Room Connector" are systems that run on conference room technology from third-party providers. Users can manage physical conference rooms. "Zoom Phone" is a virtual telephone system for companies. "Zoom Video Webinars" allows large video conferences with up to 100 speakers and up to 10,000 viewers. Interfaces and additional software created via “Zoom for Developers” are available on the “Zoom App Marketplace”.

criticism

In the course of the widespread use of the service during the Corona crisis , a number of security vulnerabilities were widely discussed.

Local web server of the macOS client

In 2019 it became known that the MacOS client from Zoom also installed a local web server during installation . This measure to increase user-friendliness was criticized as a security risk, as it might allow third parties to access the camera remotely . In addition, the local web server was not automatically removed when the program was uninstalled . Zoom then released an update and Apple removed the local web server from all Mac computers using the MacOS anti-malware program. Windows clients and the web application were not affected.

Facebook SDK of the iOS app

The Zoom iOS app was criticized because it contained a widespread software development kit that transmitted information about the smartphone used to Facebook without this being explained in the privacy policy. Zoom then removed the SDK via an update.

The use of other analysis SDKs such as Google Analytics was also criticized, while it was pointed out that these are very widespread on the Internet.

Data protection

It was also criticized that the data protection declaration contained unclear information about the "sale" of user data to third parties. Zoom then updated the privacy policy and made it clear that no user data would be sold.

Lack of end-to-end encryption

It was also criticized that the end-to-end encryption listed in the company's product description and data protection declaration was only a transport encryption , so that the company could access the transferred data.

Administrator rights

At the beginning of 2020, a function was criticized with which the administrator of a video conference can display whether the zoom window of a participant is not in the foreground for more than 30 seconds during a screen sharing in order to monitor the attentiveness of the participants. Information about the device used by the participants, the IP address and the location of the participants can also be displayed and recordings of video conferences can be saved. In some cases, these functions were defended as necessary, for example, for distance learning or for use in companies, and it was pointed out that they must be consciously activated by the administrator - even if the users do not know this. Zoom then deactivated the function in April 2020.

Zoom bombing

“Zoomombing” (analogous to photobombing ) is the term used to describe the phenomenon that malicious users switch to ongoing video conferences that are not restricted by the administrator and that often irritate the participants with obscene videos. Zoom then changed the default settings that administrators often overlooked.

In January 2020 it was also announced that it was temporarily possible to guess random dial-in numbers from ongoing video conferences and thus send requests to participate to administrators. Zoom had already fixed the problem after a tip in August 2019.

Prohibitions

Due to the criticism of Zoom, companies and government institutions around the world banned the use of the software in early April 2020.

Web links

Commons : Zoom Video Communications  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Annual Report Zoom Video Communications 2019 - Form 10-K. January 31, 2020, accessed on May 18, 2020 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e f Alex Clayton: Zoom IPO. S-1 breakdown. March 25, 2019, accessed April 19, 2020 .
  3. ↑ a b c d Jill Duffy: Zoom Meetings. In: PC. April 15, 2020, accessed on April 20, 2020 .
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Meike Laaff: Video conferences: Ok, Zoomer. In: ZEIT Online. March 31, 2020, accessed April 19, 2020 .
  5. ↑ a b Taylor Lorenz, Erin Griffith, Mike Isaac: We Live in Zoom Now . In: The New York Times . March 17, 2020, ISSN  0362-4331 ( nytimes.com [accessed April 20, 2020]).
  6. ↑ Alexander Demling, Christof Kerkmann, Dietmar Neuerer, Stephan Scheuer: “The greatest caution applies to confidential matters” - politicians warn against the video service Zoom. In: Handelsblatt. April 7, 2020, accessed April 20, 2020 .
  7. ↑ Stephan Hansen-Oest: Help ... is “Zoom” a data thrower? In: Data Protection Guru. March 23, 2020, accessed April 21, 2020 .
  8. ^ Glenn Fleishman: Every Zoom Security and Privacy Flaw So Far, and What You Can Do to Protect Yourself. In: TidBits. April 3, 2020, accessed on April 21, 2020 .
  9. ↑ Micah Lee, Yael Grauer: Zoom Meetings Aren't End-to-End Encrypted, Despite Misleading Marketing. In: The Intercept. March 31, 2020, accessed April 20, 2020 (English).
  10. ↑ Uli Ries: Video conferencing software: Is zoom a security nightmare? In: heise Security. April 2, 2020, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  11. ↑ Dr. Torge Schmidt: End-to-end encryption of video conferences. In: data protection notes. April 27, 2020, accessed May 4, 2020 .
  12. ↑ Kim Lyons: Zoom vulnerability would have allowed hackers to eavesdrop on calls. In: The Verge. January 28, 2020, accessed April 19, 2020 .
  13. ↑ That's how insecure Zoom is. In: ARD . April 2, 2020, accessed April 23, 2020 .
  14. ^ Hugh Langley: Google has banned the Zoom app from all employee computers over "security vulnerabilities". In: Business Insider . April 8, 2020, accessed on April 23, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Jitendra Soni: More top companies ban Zoom following security fears. In: techradar.com. April 15, 2020, accessed on April 23, 2020 .
  16. ↑ Anshuman Daga, Imani Moise: Exclusive: Stay off Zoom and Google Hangouts, Standard Chartered chief tells staff . Ed .: Reuters . April 15, 2020 (English, reuters.com [accessed April 23, 2020]).
  17. ↑ Debby Wu, Samson Ellis: Taiwan Bans Official Use of Zoom Over Cybersecurity Concerns. In: Bloomberg News . April 7, 2020, accessed on April 23, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Dietmar Neuerer, Moritz Koch: IT security: Foreign office prohibits the use of zoom on business devices. In: Handelsblatt . April 8, 2020, accessed April 25, 2020 .