Zoom Video Communications, the owner of the popular video conferencing application, agreed to pay $85 million to millions of users to settle a case stemming from privacy concerns and a number of hacking and video-crashing incidents.
The settlement, granted final approval by US Judge Laurel Beeler, of the Northern District of California, includes $21.2m in lawyer's fees.
The lawsuit alleged that Zoom misled its users about the security of its encryption technology security and that it shared their data through third-party software from companies like Facebook, Google and LinkedIn without their consent.
The users said Zoom also failed to protect their online meetings from being disrupted by hacking attacks, which are colloquially known as “zoombombings", the most infamous of which was a Bible class in San Francisco being interrupted by the sudden appearance of indecent content.
“Millions of Americans continue to use Zoom’s platform with the expectation that their conversations will be kept private and secure,” said Mark Molumphy, one of the lawyers representing Zoom in the case.
“This groundbreaking settlement will provide a substantial cash recovery to Zoom users and implement privacy practices that, going forward, will help ensure that users are safe and protected.”
San Jose, California-based Zoom exploded in popularity at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 as people were confined to their homes because of strict lockdown measures, forcing them to work and study from a distance.
The global video conferencing market was estimated at $9.2 billion in 2021, and is projected to grow to $22.5bn by 2026 at a compound annual rate of almost 20 per cent, according to research company Markets and Markets.
Major companies, including Google, Cisco and Microsoft, plus other hardware manufacturers, expanded their video communications offerings to keep up with demand.
The remote and hybrid working models have been deemed effective by a number of studies, and it is expected that even post-pandemic, the practice will widely remain in place.
Zoom did not immediately comment on the settlement. A representative reiterated the same statement it released last August when the company initially agreed to the payout.
“We take seriously the trust our users place in us. We are proud of the advancements we have made to our platform, and look forward to continuing to innovate with privacy and security at the forefront," it said.
Zoom also agreed to make amendments to its business model, including a process that gives users access to law enforcement agencies in the event of disruptions that involve illegal content. It will also implement a system that will track reports of meetings being crashed into.
New security integrations, including a “suspend meeting” button and a feature to block users from specific countries, will also be added.
“The case itself and the settlement that we’ve obtained ... I think will become a standard for other technology companies going forward,” Molumphy said, according to the Los Angeles Times. “It’s really important to have the technology down and the security down before you go to market.”
RESULTS
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (BRA) beat Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK)
(Split decision)
Featherweight
Hussein Salim (IRQ) beat Shakhriyor Juraev (UZB)
(Round 1 submission, armbar)
Catchweight 80kg
Rashed Dawood (UAE) beat Otabek Kadirov (UZB)
(Round-1 submission, rear naked choke)
Lightweight
Ho Taek-oh (KOR) beat Ronald Girones (CUB)
(Round 3 submission, triangle choke)
Lightweight
Arthur Zaynukov (RUS) beat Damien Lapilus (FRA)
(Unanimous points)
Bantamweight
Vinicius de Oliveira (BRA) beat Furkatbek Yokubov (RUS)
(Round 1 TKO)
Featherweight
Movlid Khaybulaev (RUS) v Zaka Fatullazade (AZE)
(Round 1 rear naked choke)
Flyweight
Shannon Ross (TUR) beat Donovon Freelow (USA)
(Unanimous decision)
Lightweight
Dan Collins (GBR) beat Mohammad Yahya (UAE)
(Round 2 submission D’arce choke)
Catchweight 73kg
Martun Mezhulmyan (ARM) beat Islam Mamedov (RUS)
(Round 3 submission, kneebar)
Bantamweight world title
Xavier Alaoui (MAR) beat Jaures Dea (CAM)
(Unanimous points 48-46, 49-45, 49-45)
Flyweight world title
Manon Fiorot (FRA) v Gabriela Campo (ARG)
(Round 1 RSC)
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Jetour T1 specs
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1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
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The specs
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
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Dhadak 2
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Rating: 1/5
Specs
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Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A German university was a good fit for the family budget
Annual fees for the Technical University of Munich - £600
Shared rental accommodation per month depending on the location ranges between £200-600
The family had budgeted for food, books, travel, living expenses - £20,000 annually
Overall costs in Germany are lower than the family estimated
As proof that the student has the ability to take care of expenses, international students must open a blocked account with about £8,640
Students are permitted to withdraw £720 per month
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
