Zoom app bows to user pressure; offers end-to-end encryption to all

Under immense pressure from all sections of its userbase, notable videoconferencing app Zoom has made a U-turn on its previous decisions to offer end-to-end encryption only to its paid customers by extending its enhanced security features to all users on the platform.

After several privacy and security mistakes, Zoom had earlier promised stronger encryption and protection for users. But originally, end-to-end encryption was planned as premium featured accessible only to its paid users.

After extensive deliberations with encryption experts, civil liberties groups, child safety advocates and government officials, however, Zoom declared that all users will be able to enable end-to-end encryption.

The revision follows a pair of letters that were addressed to the company by digital rights groups, such as the Mozilla Foundation and tens of thousands of concerned users.

“Since releasing the draft design of Zoom’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) on May 22, we have engaged with civil liberties organizations, our CISO council, child safety advocates, encryption experts, government representatives, our own users, and others to gather their feedback on this feature,” Zoom CEO Eric Yuan said.