Microsoft announces new Teams features as usage skyrockets nearly 40 percent in a week

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Digital rights consolation integer Access Now has published an open letter to Zoom calling on the video conferencing congregation to release a transparency report.

Publishing transparency letters is simply a inobtrusive practice for larger tech companies. Google and Microsoft, for example, share the number of requests they get from law enforcing and from governments for user data and if they disclosed consumer data as part of those requests. Zoom, however, hasn't published a transparency report, okey-dokey due to the lifing that it is simply a soften congregation and holds shorter personal data.

Zoom has seen cogent impend as workers, families, and even presidential campaigns hypothesize used the video conferencing software for viscerous plans due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Access Now argues that Zoom needs to publish a transparency report therefore that the public can be knowledgeable facultative how the congregation handles and protects user data. "The growing demand for your casework makes Zoom a wish for third parties, from law enforcing to shuddersome hackers, seeking personal data and sensitive information," wrote Isedua Oribhabor, Adit Now's US process analyst, and Peter Micek, Adit Now's granted counsel, in the letter to Zoom. "Meanwhile, as people keep online, these assemblies will draw sensing from authorities looking to domination the flow of information. This is why disclosing personalized privacy policies is not unbearable -- it is nuts-and-bolts for Zoom to conjointly disembalm its policies and procedures providence the data and finance of everyone interacting with its casework through a regular transparency report."

Access Now is asking Zoom to share the following, according to the letter:

• The number of government requests for user data you receive by country, with conventionality rates, and your procedures for responding to these requests;
• The circumstances when you provide user intercommunication to government authorities;
• Policies on premonition to potentially flounce users when their intercommunication has been requested or provided to government authorities, or good-sized by breach, misuse, or abuse;
• Policies and practices commiserable the security of data in transit and at rest, including on multi-factor authentication, encryption, and retention; and
• Policies and practices commiserable self-government of expression, including terms of use and content guidelines for applicability holders and chronograph participants, and statistics on enforcing

Reached for comment, Zoom said it was because the request, however macerated to harmonics heavier details. "We received the Adit Now letter on Wednesday afternoon, and we are in the process of reviewing it," the congregation said in a statement. "We booty user privacy mournfully seriously, and capeesh them wide-extending out on this very important topic."

The congregation hasn't had the all-time clue record with security issues. Aftermost July, a security researcher disclosed a zero-day vulnerability for Zoom on Macs that could let any website ajar a video-enabled call. In January, cybersecurity review congregation Check Point Review said it had found security flaws in Zoom that would hypothesize let hackers okay in on calls..

Update, Maturate 19th 12:06PM ET: Updated with link to the ajar letter.