Since the coronavirus pandemic has caused millions of workers around the world to quarantine themselves, relying on technology to get the job done has been a must. Employers and employees have relied on software like Zoom to hold face-to-face meetings with each other, however, it’s being reported that there have been some security issues with the company.
According to Vice, the video-call service leaked personal email addresses and photos of thousands of users. According to one Twitter user, they signed up with their private email but was grouped in with others to which they were sent photos and emails of other private users. Zoom’s company directory features automatically groups users together who share the same email domain, but it seems as though this has caused major problems.
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@zoom_us I just had a look at the free for private use version of Zoom and registered with my private email. I now got 1000 names, email addresses and even pictures of people in the company Directory. Is this intentional? #GDPR pic.twitter.com/bw5xZIGtSE
— Jeroen J.V Lebon (@JJVLebon) March 23, 2020
After the issue was raised, a Zoom representative stated that the company kept a “blacklist” of domains and “regularly proactively identifies” domains to be added, further saying it had highlighted the list that was called out by Motherboard [Vice], according to Business Insider.
It was also reported that the company did not incorporate end-to-end encryption — a term frequently used by the company — on video meetings, which would ensure any outsider or the company itself to not be able to access the content of the call being made. On the flip side, they do offer something called “transport encryption” which mixes up the content for external hackers, theoretically.
Since so many people are working from home these days, Walmart says they’ve seen a surge in sales for women’s blouses but not bottoms, which is mostly due to the fact that most meetings now are only seen by individuals from the waist up. “We’re seeing an increased sales in tops, but not bottoms,” Walmart’s executive of corporate affairs Dan Barlett explained to Yahoo! Finance. “So, people who are concerned obviously, from the waist up. These behaviors are going to continue to change and evolve as people get accustomed to this new lifestyle, if you will. And we’re able to accommodate that, both online and in our stores.”
Other items like popsicle sticks, DVD’s and food have also increased in sales as well.
Photo credit: Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty.
