Should I use Zoom, which is often criticized recently?

What is Zoom?

Even before the epidemic, Zoom was one of the most popular services for conducting video conferencing. But then it was mainly used by business. Due to the quarantine, even more companies have connected to Zoom, which have switched to remote work. And after them - millions of people who are now studying or just chatting with friends from home.

What is Zoom accused of?

The company misled users about privacy

Zoom claimsSECURITY GUIDE. Zoom Video Communications, Inc.that her product supports end-to-end encryption. It is generally believed that this technology protects data all the way from user to user. In other words, no outsider can read them. Even the developer of the service.

But an investigation by The Intercept revealedZOOM MEETINGS AREN'T END-TO-END ENCRYPTED, DESPITE MISLEADING MARKETINGthat Zoom interprets end-to-end encryption differently and can still view user conferences.

At the same time, the company saysZOOM MEETINGS AREN'T END-TO-END ENCRYPTED, DESPITE MISLEADING MARKETINGthat does not sell audience data and has taken measures to prevent employees from decrypting content. At the same time, Zoom does not deny that it can provide recordings of conferences at the request of the authorities.

Zoom transmitted user data to Facebook

This Zoom iOS app was caughtZoom iOS App Sends Data to Facebook Even if You Don’t Have a Facebook Account in late March. The program sent data about the current device, city, cellular operator and time zone. They were transmitted to Facebook, even if the user did not have an account on the social network.

After the scandal, Zoom reportedZoom's Use of Facebook's SDK in iOS Clientthat the data was sent without her knowledge as a result of the application's integration with Facebook. The company assured that it had already fixed the problem.

Zoom is full of technical vulnerabilities

In recent months, the media have reported on Zoom vulnerabilities several times. For example, one of the bugs allowedCheck Point Research finds vulnerabilities in Zoom Video Communications, Inc. connect to other people's conferences. Another uncoveredZoom is Leaking Peoples' Email Addresses and Photos to Strangers postal addresses and photos of users to third parties. And the other day, journalists foundThousands of Zoom video calls left exposed on open Web publicly available thousands of video calls recorded in Zoom.

Does Zoom do something about it?

Since December, the number of service users has increasedA Message to Our Users 20 times - from 10 to 200 million per day. The developers clearly did not count on such growth and made many mistakes.

But we must give them their due: they listen to criticism and try to fix bugs promptly.

On April 1, Zoom founder Eric S. Yuan publishedA Message to Our Users a detailed plan for solving the accumulated problems.

The company will suspend the launch of new features for 90 days and focus on protecting privacy. And with the involvement of independent experts.

In addition, the company will begin publishing reports of requests for confidential data by authorities. Zoom will also report weekly on all updates that affect information security issues.

Should you use Zoom?

Yes, if privacy issues are not critical for you or if you believe in the company's promises. After all, Zoom can be safely called one of the best video conferencing services on the market.

Why is Zoom so good?

Conferences can be huge

The service allows you to connect up to 100 users to the conference for FREE. You can see 25 of them on the screen at the same time. For comparison: in Skype, you cannot connect more than 50 participants, in Hangouts - more than 25.

Registration is optional

When using the Zoom apps, only the meeting organizer needs an account.

Lots of free features

• Chats. Users can send each other private messages or chat in group correspondence.
• Demonstration of the desktop. Each participant can broadcast not only video from the camera, but also the screen of a computer or mobile device.
• Joint work with documents. By installing the Zoom application, the user can display photos or text documents for joint annotation.
• Recording hangouts. Zoom desktop clients allow you to save video conferences as well as chat history to your computer.
• Member management. The conference organizer can remove selected participants, as well as prevent them from broadcasting video and sound.
• Virtual backgrounds. If you don't want to show your interlocutors the interior of your apartment, choose any digital background instead. This can be an image of an office, stills from movies, or even memes.

The service is available on different platforms

Zoom has apps for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS, and on a computer, it can be used in a browser without installing the client.

There are also plugins available for Chrome and Firefox users to schedule and launch conferences faster.

Zoom website →

What if I don't have enough free features?

The weakest point of the free version of Zoom is the limited conference time. If 40 minutes is too little for you, you can recreate it after disconnecting or buy a subscription.

The cheapest plan costs $ 15 per month. The fee is charged to the organizer. As part of this tariff, you can arrange conferences for up to 24 hours. Other benefits include 1 GB of cloud storage space, access to meeting statistics, and additional moderation features.

More expensive plans offer even more cloud space, automatic creation transcripts records, and the ability to connect up to 500 participants.

Detailed comparison of tariff plans available on the Zoom website.

How do I start a conference?

To get started, register on the website or in any Zoom application. This step is mandatory for the organizer.

If you are using a browser

Click "Host a Conference" and choose the appropriate option: "With Video", "Without Video" or "Screen Sharing Only".

The system will offer to install the application, but you can refuse. To do this, click "click here" and then "start from browser". If the download starts automatically, refresh the page. But remember that the application is more stable and supports joint work with documents.

When the conference window opens, click "Enter audio conference from computer". Now invite the participants. Click "Invite" → "Copy URL". After that, send the link to the participants via mail or any messenger.

If using the desktop program Zoom

Click New Meeting and then Sign In Using Computer Sound.

To invite attendees, click “Invite” in the bottom menu and select “Copy URL”. After that, send the link to the participants via mail or any messenger.

If you are using the Zoom mobile app

Click New Conference → Start Conference.

To invite users, click Members → Invite. Then select "Copy URL" and send the link to the desired contacts via mail or any third-party messenger.

Regardless of the application chosen, the conference password will be encrypted in the invitation link, so participants do not have to enter it.

How do I schedule a conference?

You can prepare the conference in advance and add the invitation link to Google Calendar or a similar service. At the time specified by the organizer, all users connected to the calendar will receive a notification.

To schedule a meeting via the Zoom website, click on "My Account" or click on the profile icon in the upper right corner and select "Schedule Meeting".

If you're using a desktop or mobile app, just click Schedule from the main menu.

Now configure the conference settings to suit you.

Many of them are obvious, but some require explanation. Let's talk about them.

"Include Lounge": When connecting, each participant will wait until the host allows them to join.

"Personal Conference ID": The system will use a unique number for the conference that is reserved for your profile. Knowing him and password, users will be able to connect even without the invitation link. If you don't enable this setting, Zoom will generate a random ID.

Once you've set up your conference, click Save (or Schedule). When the system prompts you to connect the calendar, follow the prompts on the screen.

How do I join someone else's conference?

To join a conference, you do not need to create account. And if you are using a computer, you can even do without the Zoom app.

In any case, first click on the invitation link - it will open in your browser.

If Zoom is installed, the browser will prompt you to launch it. Agree - and join the conference automatically.

If the program is not installed, the browser will offer to download it. You can opt out of this on a computer. Click "click here" and then "start from browser". In this case, the conference will start directly at browserand you will become a member.

How do I use the conference features?

• To change the videophone, click on the gear on the main screen of the desktop program Zoom and click on "Virtual Background". In this menu you can select already uploaded images or add new backgrounds.
• To open a chat, tap "Chat" or "Participants" → "Chat" if the desired button is not on the main screen.
• To share a document or screen with other people, tap Share, Screen Sharing, or Share Screen - the button names differ from platform to platform. Then select the file you want or click "Screen".
• To get the host's attention, click Details and select Raise Hand.
• To record a video conference, click Record and follow the prompts in the application. This feature is only available in Zoom desktop apps.