Zoom Video Communications, Inc. recently updated its Terms of Service to encompass what some critics are calling a significant invasion of user privacy.
Zoom's updated policy states that all rights to Service Generated Data are retained solely by Zoom. This extends to Zoom's rights to modify, distribute, process, share, maintain, and store such data "for any purpose, to the extent and in the manner permitted under applicable law.", including AI and Machine Learning.
It’s not that easy, because you are dependent on the person / organization setting up the conference. Privately I would never use it, but I often follow webinars and information sessions hosted by an multinational organization, and these are always held via Zoom.
So it would be a “take it or leave it” approach. I would not even know to whom to refer to ask for an alternative option.
I should just tell our CEO then that I refuse to use Zoom and fail to show to any and all meetings as well as tasks which require Zoom? That's it then. Privacy is saved.
I'm in Asia. Idk how our company is going to handle this (or if they care) but we do have a meeting this week so I may mention it again (if I get a chance to).
Tell your IT guys that zoom permanently records all meetings and they will use it for financial gain in the future, potentially including corporate blackmail. Ask the people in charge if price is worth continued business with using the software.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but I probably won't add the blackmail stuff. I'm still thinking how to go about it, tbh. Last time I brought it up was when they were thinking of switching due to cost and I mentioned the privacy issues. I think Zoom recording meetings would at least give them pause (I hope), but I still need to make it as believable as possible and give an alternative that's already widely used (for customers and clients).
Interestingly, it is illegal for any party to record a phone call in my jurisdiction without notifying all the parties. Zoom would be in violation of this law.
This kind of optimistic attitude ignores the reality that such actions are only effective when organized in mass. If I stop using zoom, it's pointless. It's only effective in the context of organizing with others.
The rich might want us to think that we are empowered to inflict change by merely making personal choices (which in reality are completely futile). In reality, our power shows when we're united.
Not to mention saying "just stop using Zoom" is pretty dumb if your company insists on using it. I've lobbied for other apps to be used with my company but they didn't budge mainly because we'll have to convince ALL our customers and clients to use whatever service we use as well.
Most People are lazy in general and doesn't mind getting exploited as long as they can't see or feel it.
Times have changed and you'll have to start acting as an individual. Take a stand.
For example- My friends used WhatsApp and I moved to signal, only few moved to signal and eventually others started to move. So someone has to take action for the change and the change starts with you.
I never started using zoom because of the original privacy concerns. It would have been great if people would have listened, but the truth is that most humans are just not that smart.
I don't even bother anymore. I just try to live my life in a way that corporations profit as little off of me as possible.
Went to Infocomm this year, the audio / video trade show, to get the lay of the land on next generation conference systems.
The two main elements at almost every booth were zoom and teams. Those two platforms have completely replaced IP based conferencing, and when the tide turns like this, no matter how bad the idea, we're stuck with it for five to ten years.
On both the hardware and software level, there just isn't an alternative for corporate scale conferencing.
I may be able to make the argument against zoom for privacy reasons, but I suspect teams isn't going to be any better.
It's not so much a function of try, and yes, I've used it. It's the fact that during lock down the whole company used Zoom and Teams, and changing systems now would take an act of God far above my paygrade.
Historically, Tandberg, later acquired by Cisco, was hands down the best video conference codec. I have no doubt their new line is just as good.
I can try forwarding this info to network security and see what they think.
I've always liked Google Meet better anyway. Hopefully Google don't decide to scrap it too, because while it seems like it is going to stick around, they do really like scrapping projects...
edit: Nevermind, I forgot people aren't allowed to have preferences. I understand Google is evil, and their web extensions is literally going to kill the Internet, but you can't tell me that millions of people aren't using Gmail.
But Google takes their security super seriously, and the only person they're sharing our data with is the government.
That's not a good thing, but if you need a chat app that pretty much everyone already has installed, for non-sensitive conversations, you could do much worse than Google Meet.