Google issues Zoom ban

The tech giant has banned its employees from using the Zoom conferencing application, as security concerns mount.

(FILES) In this file photo illustration taken on March 30, 2020, a Zoom App logo is displayed on a smartphone in Arlington, Virginia. - Videoconferencing group Zoom pledged to step up privacy and safety controls after a series of complaints about the application which has surged in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement late April 1, 2020, Zoom founder and chief executive Eric Yuan said the company would be "shifting all our engineering resources to focus on our biggest trust, safety, and privacy issues." (Photo by Olivier DOULIERY / AFP)

Tech giant Google on Thursday banned Zoom video conferencing application from its employees’ laptops, citing security concerns.

“Recently, our security team informed employees using Zoom Desktop Client that it will no longer run on corporate computers as it does not meet our security standards for apps used by our employees,” Google spokesman Jose Castaneda said.

Google will still allow the use of Zoom through mobile apps and browsers, he added.

The app, owned by Zoom Video Communications Inc, is facing a backlash from users worried about the lack of end-to-end encryption of meeting sessions and “zoombombing”, where uninvited guests crash into meetings.

NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX have both reportedly banned Zoom from being used internally, while Australian universities are beginning to do the same.

It comes after Zoom announced it was hiring Facebook's former security boss Alex Stamos as a consultant, as part of a 90-day plan to beef up its security.

“I’m certain that the real challenge, one faced by every company trying to provide for the diverse needs of millions seeking low-friction collaboration, is how to empower one’s customers without empowering those who wish to abuse them,” Mr Stamos said in a blog post.

“This is possibly the most impactful challenge faced by the tech industry in the age of [coronavirus], and together we can make something positive out of these difficult times and ensure that communications are safer and more secure for all.”

Zoom has also created a privacy and security board featuring security executives from companies including Netflix, VMWare, Uber and Electronic Arts, who will advise Zoom chief executive Eric Yuan.

The company has also pressed pause on developing new features in order to focus solely on security and privacy.

The platform’s surging popularity has attracted trolls and hackers, as well as scrutiny from privacy advocates.

The practice of “Zoombombing”—where people gain unauthorized access to a meeting and share hate-speech or pornographic images—entered the popular vernacular almost overnight. Security experts found publicly highlighted problems with Zoom’s technology could leave user data vulnerable to outsiders’ exploitation.

Shares of Zoom were up about 1.5 per cent at $US115.

Additional reporting: Reuters, WSJ.