American communications technology company Zoom has revealed it will release an improved version of its conferencing app some time this week. The improved version comes after weeks and weeks of criticism against the company for the recent incidents, data security and privacy measures.
The company said Zoom 5.0 will come with upgraded encryption features to help protect data and from the so-called ”Zoombombing”.
Zoom’s popularity has skyrocketed over the last three months. The coronavirus pandemic has forced many people to stay at home. Some of those people are using computers and phones to work at home and stay in contact with their friends and co-workers. The conferencing app can be used through smartphones and PCs. With the service, users can contact each other through video. The computer version allows several users to be seen at one time while the smartphone version switches between them.
The service is easy to use but the record numbers for the company have also brought along some problems. Zoom’s chief executive Eric Yuan said in a statement that they will earn the customers trust.
The app has been heavily criticized for a number of things but one of the biggest problems seems to be the ”Zoombombing” incidents. Over the last few weeks, several users have reported the interruption of conferences by uninvited guests.
The incidents have forced organizations and companies to stop the use of the app. Several companies such as Tesla and Google have reportedly banned the use of the app over security concerns.
Singapore Suspends The Service
Earlier this month, Singapore suspended the use of the service after an incident was reported. Like many countries around the world, Singapore has suspended classes until the situation with the coronavirus improves. One of the first ideas was to have virtual classrooms so students could keep learning during the suspension of school.
Teachers and students began using the service but one virtual classroom was suddenly interrupted by two uninvited guests. One mother told local media that the incident, which happened during geography class, started when obscene images showed up on the screen. She added that the incident continued when two men asked girls to ”flash”. The class was suspended right after the incident. Other parents confirmed that the incident happened during that class.
Officials said the use of the app would be suspended until the issues were ironed out. The company reportedly made adjustments for virtual classrooms, adding a set up guide for creating and adding security.
Other Incidents In Recent Weeks
The incident in Singapore was not the first to be reported. The BBC reported about a video conference at a US school that was interrupted by racist comments. Another incident took place during a local government meeting in Pennsylvania. The meeting was interrupted with pornography.
Zoom, founded nine years ago, had its highest number of daily users at 10 million. But this year, the numbers have gone up by a record percentage. In March, the service saw big numbers, going from the 10 million record from last year to 200 million users in one day.
