The Senate sergeant at arms told lawmakers not to use Zoom, the video conferencing software that has exploded in popularity during the coronavirus emergency, according to a new report.
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The Financial Times reports that the warning told Senate offices to find alternative platforms for working remotely, but it did not ban Zoom—which Google did last week. Some school districts in the United States have also barred the use of the software.
Zoom’s rise in popularity has led to a slew of scrutiny in recent weeks.
The company’s data collection practices, its misrepresentation of its encryption promises, and a trend of trolls hacking into meetings—known as Zoombombing—have all raised questions recently. Cybersecurity researchers have also found bugs in the software that could expose users to having personal information stolen.
Recently, hundreds of Zoom accounts were found linked on a popular dark web forum.
Zoom has said it will address the concerns in the coming months.
The scrutiny has also made its way to the Senate in other ways. At least one senator has urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate the company, as has an advocacy group.
The New York Attorney General’s office has also asked the company for more information about its data privacy and security.
You can read all of the Financial Times report here.
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