Zoom Planning To Rollout Paid Enhanced Encryption Video Conferencing Service

Online video conferencing platform Zoom is reportedly planning to offer better encrypted online meetings to its enterprise users and paying clients. The company revealed plans of providing its paying clients, including schools, government offices, and companies, stronger end-to-end encryption for their online video meetings to ensure that they are safe from hackers and prying eyes.

Zoom security consultant, Alex Stamos, confirmed the move stating that the company is trying to ensure the safety of its users after previously receiving criticism over its inadequate security protocols. Stamos told reporters that the plan is still subject to change as the company is deliberating over how it should be handling the monetization of its enhanced service.

The company is also considering offering enhanced accounts to nonprofit organizations and specific users that require more secure video meetings. The company's plan of offering an enhanced service to paid users has received some criticism from privacy advocates; with some claiming that people using the company's less-secure but free service could be prone to digital attacks.

In light of the global coronavirus pandemic and the shifting of businesses to home-based operations, demand for the company's platform has skyrocketed. Over the past few months, billions of people from around the world have joined meetings on the platform without paying a single cent. According to the company, more than 300 million meetings happen on its platform each day.

The platform currently allows anyone to join meetings if they had been invited, without signing up for an account. The method has resulted in some troublemakers joining meetings pretending to be invitees. Industry experts have pointed out that by charging users for end-to-end encryption, the platform can get rid of spammers and other malicious users.

The fee to open an account is believed to be a small price to pay and a reasonable compromise to protect the platform's users. Authorities had previously revealed that the platform has become a viable target for sexual predators and other unscrupulous individuals given the fact that it is free to use and easy to access.

Zoom is currently exploring a number of other options to tackle the problems plaguing its platforms. However, the current plan is to provide increased encryption only to its enterprise and paying customers. The company stated that it would be too expensive to provide full encryption to all meetings on its platform. Full encryption would also mean that its own trust and safety team will not have access to the online gatherings, disabling its ability to handle abuses in its platform in real-time.

The rush to establish an acceptable monetization model comes as the company is being held under close scrutiny by regulators, including the US Federal Trade Commission, which is looking into previous claims of its failure to protect users.