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.”
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The design
The protective shell is covered in solar panels to make use of light and produce energy. This will drastically reduce energy loss.
More than 80 per cent of the energy consumed by the French pavilion will be produced by the sun.
The architecture will control light sources to provide a highly insulated and airtight building.
The forecourt is protected from the sun and the plants will refresh the inner spaces.
A micro water treatment plant will recycle used water to supply the irrigation for the plants and to flush the toilets. This will reduce the pavilion’s need for fresh water by 30 per cent.
Energy-saving equipment will be used for all lighting and projections.
Beyond its use for the expo, the pavilion will be easy to dismantle and reuse the material.
Some elements of the metal frame can be prefabricated in a factory.
From architects to sound technicians and construction companies, a group of experts from 10 companies have created the pavilion.
Work will begin in May; the first stone will be laid in Dubai in the second quarter of 2019.
Construction of the pavilion will take 17 months from May 2019 to September 2020.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Monster Hunter: World
Capcom
PlayStation 4, Xbox One
