Zoom CEO Eric Yuan in June announced that the company would roll out end-to-end encryption to all its paying users, while free users will have to continue using the platform without. It angered activists and civil liberties organizations, prompting petitions and open letters to make the feature available for everybody.
In a sudden and dramatic turn, Yuan has said it will offer end-to-end encryption free to all, including basic users and every new sign up. The move follows the outrage from campaigners and privacy advocates, calling out Zoom to reconsider its previous decision.
One of the campaigners, Mozilla Foundation Vice President of Advocacy and Engagement Ashley Boyd, said it is the right of every user to have access to end-to-end encryption. It should not be exclusive to people or business entities that have the resources to pay, she said.
"Zoom's decision will leave journalists, activists, low-income internet users, and a host of others more vulnerable to snooping," Boyd said. "We urge Eric Yuan and Zoom to listen and to reverse course. At a time when everyone and everything is increasingly connected, privacy and security need to be the default, not a luxury."
Yuan in a blog post said that Zoom had conversations with encryption experts, civil rights groups, government bodies, child safety advocates, the company's CISCO advisory council, and its users to gather insight on its draft design for the security feature. He said there were also talks about new technologies to allow end-to-end encryption accessible for everybody.
Zoom now has a new end-to-end encryption design, which, according to Yuan, balances safety for all users and the right of each user to privacy.
If you want to try Zoom's end-to-end encryption feature, you will be asked to participate in a one-time process that should ask you for additional info, like providing your number via a text message. The company said that the feature is offered as an optional perk.
End-to-end encryption for all Zoom users will roll out as a beta test in July. Note that enabling the feature will limit some features, including the ability to include PSTN phone lines or SIP/H.323 hardware conference room systems.
Account admins will have the power to turn end-to-end encryption on or off at the account and group level while meeting hosts can also enable or disable it at will.
Concerns nonetheless remain over whether it can balance this level of security with safety and still prevent abuse of its platform.
