Germany and Taiwan are cracking down on governmental use of videoconferencing app Zoom amid concerns that it might be too risky to use.
In an internal memo, the German foreign ministry restricted use of the service. The country said security and data-protection weaknesses make Zoom too dangerous to use, according to newspaper Handelsblatt. Taiwan also banned official use of Zoom for the same reasons.
“Based on media reports and our own findings we have concluded that Zoom’s software has critical weaknesses and serious security and data protection problems,” read the German memo in question.
In its report on Zoom use in Germany, Reuters notes that:
“A government source confirmed the authenticity of the memo but clarified that there was no restriction on using the desktop version of Zoom via a fixed-line connection, although confidential conversations should not be held as the application lacks end-to-end encryption.”
The report claims that other countries are considering taking similar precautions. This relates to the numerous concerns raised in recent weeks about potential security problems involving Zoom. Concerns have involved everything from compromised Zoom accounts found on the dark web to the practice of “Zoombombing.”
Zoom use soars due to COVID-19
Zoom adoption rocketed as the coronavirus pandemic caused people to work from home (and then shelter in place). According to one recent report, use of the videoconferencing service soared 700% in recent months.
A class-action lawsuit filed Tuesday against Zoom Video Communications accused the app-maker of “overstating its privacy standards and failing to disclose that its service was not end-to-end encrypted,” according to Reuters.
If you’re looking for alternatives while working from home, check out our list of five Zoom rivals here.
What is your own videoconferencing app of choice? Let us know in the comments below.
