It then goes on to explain what it doesn’t mean by “sell”, in a way that Bruce Schneier describes as “ carefully worded by lawyers to permit them to do pretty much whatever they want with your information while pretending otherwise”. Until last month, its privacy policy contained this statement:ĭoes Zoom sell Personal Data? Depends what you mean by “sell.” There were also reports that Apple was forced to step in to secure millions of devices after it learned that Zoom installed a secret web server on users’ Macs, and that Zoom has an “attendee tracking” feature that lets a host see whether participants clicked away from the app during a call.Īnd then there’s the threat of “zoombombing”, where uninvited guests enter meetings to harass participants and snoop into people’s homes.īut perhaps the biggest concern is whether Zoom itself breaches users’ privacy. For example, security researchers have found several major vulnerabilities – one of which can be used to steal Windows passwords, and another two that can be used to take over a Zoom user’s Mac and tap into the webcam and microphone. There are plenty of justifiable reasons to be wary of Zoom. So, which side of the divide should you be on? Let’s take a look. You’re either one of the 200 million people who use it daily, or one of the sceptics, like the MOD, which has banned the software. There has been little room for middle ground when it comes to Zoom.
#Is it safe to download zoom on mac software
Until recently, you had probably never heard of the video conferencing software Zoom.īut now, as we remain in lockdown and are forced to communicate with colleagues and friends remotely, it’s one of the world’s most talked-about technologies – whether that’s because of its easy-to-use and free set-up or because of accusations that it steals your data and infects you with malware.
UPDATE: Since we first published this story, Zoom has implemented end-to-end encryption for all users.