Zoom to settle $85 million lawsuit over “zoombombing”

Video conferencing app Zoom finally agreed to pay $85 million (Rp1,216 billion) and improve its security. This is the conclusion that came out of the lawsuit filed against Zoom in March 2020.

The lawsuit accused the company of sharing users’ personal data to third parties, such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. It also claimed that Zoom gave users false information that it provides end-to-end encryption. 

The lawsuit was the beginning of the term “zoombombing” and “Zoom-raiding," which is essentially an intrusive and disruptive act by Internet trolls during video conference meetings. Usually, these intruders would hijack the meeting and use the share screen feature to display offensive or disturbing audiovisuals, such as obscene videos or loud noises, until the meeting is shut down. Even though it is derived from the happenings in Zoom, the terms are also used to address similar events happening in other video conferencing applications.

The settlement Zoom agreed on includes compensation for Zoom subscribers worth up to 15% of the primary subscription, which is $25 (Rp357,600). Other users will be eligible to receive compensation of up to $15 (Rp214,560). However, the settlement is still undergoing the approval process by a federal judge.

In its statement, Zoom said, “The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us.” Zoom also agreed to make a notification system for users when other participants in the meetings are using third-party applications. The company stated that it will provide training on privacy and data handling to its employees.

The next hearing for the case is scheduled for October.