With the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are using video conferencing services like Zoom. One appeal of apps like this are claims of privacy, with end-to-end encryption. But as it turns out, for this particular app’s video conferencing feature, it may not be as encrypted as claimed.
The Intercept reports that Zoom uses TLS encryption for its video conferences. This means data between you and its servers are encrypted. This is similar to HTTPS websites, which means the server owners still have access to your data. But this also means it’s not true end-to-end encryption like in the case of WhatsApp, where no one else can access them besides the sender and recipient of the messages.
A company spokesperson said that “Currently, it is not possible to enable E2E encryption for Zoom video meetings. Zoom video meetings use a combination of TCP and UDP.” But for what it’s worth, the text messaging aspect of Zoom in indeed end-to-end encrypted.
As for what Zoom will use video conferencing data for, the company said that it only collects basic technical data that it needs for its service to function. These include IP addresses, OS and device details. The company also claims that it has safeguards in place so that no one, including employees, have access to the video, audio, or chat between users during a video meeting.
(Source: The Intercept. Image: Wikipedia)
