Zoom shares video data secretly with Facebook through its iOS application even if users do not have a social media account, and without...
Zoom shares video data secretly with Facebook through its iOS application even if users do not have a social media account, and without declaring data sharing in the privacy policy, according to a report from Motherboard.
The data shared includes the time when the Zoom application opens, the operator's network, device specifications, geographic location, and other analytical data that can be used in targeted advertisements.
The emerging crisis of the Corona Virus has led to a significant increase in demand for video call applications and services, as people work from home, which has increased Zoom's app downloads to three times this month.
According to the report, the reason the Zoom app can share user data with Facebook is that the video call application uses so-called software development groups or SDKs for the social media platform.
As a result, the video conferencing application can access the Facebook API, which links Zoom to the extensive data set of the social network, and although this practice is common, Facebook terms of service impose on programmers to make users aware of their data sharing practices.
Zoom's privacy policies clarify that the application can collect and share data related to personal files for Facebook users only, without clarifying that this applies to users who do not have an account on the social media platform.
"There is nothing in this privacy policy that makes this clear," said Pat Walshe, data protection activist, from Privacy International, a charity that defends and promotes the right to privacy around the world.
It is noteworthy that this is not the first privacy dispute surrounding the Zoom app, as a security expert in 2019 revealed a mistake in its systems that allowed users to breach web cameras secretly, and TechCrunch reported last year that many meetings of the application can be accessed when no Having a password to protect video sessions.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation also recently shed light on the level of supervision granted to Zoom officials, including monitoring whether users focus on the Zoom window while sharing screen and data on user systems.
