Zoom will have to pay $85 million in compensation to its users for sharing private data without authorization with companies such as Facebook, Google and LinkedIn. The preliminary agreement was announced last Saturday (31/7).

In addition to the payment, Zoom promises to implement more robust security measures on the platform and provide its employees with special training focused on managing private data. “The privacy and security of our users are Zoom’s top priorities, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us,” the company said about the agreement, in a statement released to the American press this Sunday (August 1).

The decision by the Northern District Court of California still needs approval from local judge Lucy Koh to go forward. If granted, affected users will be entitled to a refund of 15% of their subscription fee or $25. Non-Zoom customers could receive up to $15 for unauthorized data sharing.

Zoom tried to persuade the court to dismiss the lawsuit filed in the second half of 2020, but was unsuccessful. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for October.

“Zoombombing” accusations

According to the lawsuit, Zoom allowed an online practice known as “zoombombing,” in which hackers were able to invade video calls and expose pornographic images or racist messages. On this subject, the company highlights a series of updates released last year, as well as changes in the handling of private data to prevent such intrusions. “We are proud of the advancements we have made to our platform,” the statement released on Sunday said.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Zoom, an app originally launched in 2012, was restricted to workspaces. As people worked from home, however, the demand for downloads skyrocketed — a development the company was unprepared for, which exposed the swarm of vulnerabilities in recent months. Just to illustrate this growth, Zoom's customer base in January 2020 was 81.900 people; 15 months later, in April of this year, the number reached 497 thousand. The company's revenue also increased by 191% in the first four months of 2021.

Through which channels you reach those people, classic and out of the box. Digital Trends e Reuters

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