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Zoom monitors activity on your computer

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Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#81

Post by gsich »

manigandham wrote: post #75
gsich wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

MAC address? Unless they have some Layer2 detection shit running they don't need that. And besides, they wouldn't need it on their servers.

They have to name every possible thing they can potentially receive. Mac addresses are available as part of networking details if you're using their desktop software. Zoom is enterprise video conferencing that only recently gained attention for average consumers.

>They have to name every possible thing they can potentially receive.

Then they are missing a lot.

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#82

Post by gray_-_wolf »

manigandham wrote: post #67
neonate wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How do you know that? These statements leave other possibilities open: It covers all Personal Data that you affirmatively provide during your interactions with us, information that we automatically collect when you interact with our Products, and information that we collect about you from third parties Whether you have Zoom account or not, we may collect Personal Data from or about you when you use or otherwise inter…

It says " when you use or otherwise interact with our Products. " It's not unreasonable. I'm not sure what your claim is here, because you'll find this language in every single online business. You realize Zoom sells enterprise video conferencing right? They have no use for your data otherwise.

I think other running programs would fall under

> information that we collect about you from third parties

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#83

Post by bobwaycott »

dmurray wrote: post #27
Mathnerd314 wrote: post #17

EFF seems to be the source: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/03/what-you-should-know-a... > If attendees of a meeting do not have the Zoom video window in focus during a call where the host is screen-sharing, after 30 seconds the host can see indicators next to each participant’s name indicating that the Zoom window is not active. It doesn't seem too invasive, although of course it'd still be annoying if you have t…

It seems reasonable for Zoom or any app to know whether its window has focus. That doesn't imply spying on anything else you're doing.

I think the issue is not that Zoom knows if its application window has focus, but that it reports focus state to anyone other than the user.

For example:

1. Zoom knows it’s not focused on Bob’s machine, and notifies Bob that someone has begun sharing their screen.

2. Zoom knows it’s not focused on Bob’s machine and notifies Sally of this.

Scenario 1 seems acceptable and helpful. Scenario 2 is invasive and unnecessary.

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#84

Post by kube-system »

DyslexicAtheist wrote: post #80
lghh wrote: post #3

Downside of what may be a societal long term shift to work from home is even LESS privacy. I find that ironic, but not surprising.

If Zoom would be a Chinese company they'd immediately be branded threat-actor! A company that bypasses security controls on the host[1] has no place in a corporate network, covid19 crisis or not. [1] see news from ca July 2019

Yes, governance is of material importance to privacy.

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#85

Post by userbinator »

discreditable wrote: post #37

When someone sends you a zoom invite, cancel the download, then click the having problems link to download again. Cancel it again. It will show you a link to join by browser. A few other meeting apps have dark patterns like this. One of my favorite things about Hangouts Meet is it's web first.

What I find irritating is this proliferation of meeting apps like these, all using their own proprietary variations of protocols and consuming huge amounts of system resources, when there has been a standard protocol for it that's been around since the late 90s, with a variety of different clients available: SIP. One could be sent a SIP URI for a meeting and it would work in any client.

Maybe it's like IRC vs all the other IM "solutions", except with an even larger difference in userbase.

Edit: looks like Zoom does use SIP too, but it's not that obvious how to use your own client: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201207626-Video-La...

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#86

Post by tmpz22 »

userbinator wrote: post #85
discreditable wrote: post #37

When someone sends you a zoom invite, cancel the download, then click the having problems link to download again. Cancel it again. It will show you a link to join by browser. A few other meeting apps have dark patterns like this. One of my favorite things about Hangouts Meet is it's web first.

What I find irritating is this proliferation of meeting apps like these, all using their own proprietary variations of protocols and consuming huge amounts of system resources, when there has been a standard protocol for it that's been around since the late 90s, with a variety of different clients available: SIP. One could be sent a SIP URI for a meeting and it would work in any client. Maybe it's like IRC vs all the…

Well the best product usually wins in this space. Usually this means well-managed vanity features like sleek design, animations, emote, but also occasionally more heavy weight performance improvements like video quality and sound quality. Ultimately if the standards and protocols you mentioned provided for that, they'd have won, but they didn't so here we are.

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#87

Post by INTPenis »

discreditable wrote: post #37

When someone sends you a zoom invite, cancel the download, then click the having problems link to download again. Cancel it again. It will show you a link to join by browser. A few other meeting apps have dark patterns like this. One of my favorite things about Hangouts Meet is it's web first.

I'm surprised it was that complicated. I helped a friend out with Zoom last weekend and she had been using the browser exclusively until I pointed out they have an app. She's not very good with computers but zoom is fairly easy to use.

Also reading the EFF article on Zoom I feel like these are great usability features. The issue is if Zoom collects and stores the information.

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#88

Post by barbs »

userbinator wrote: post #85
discreditable wrote: post #37

When someone sends you a zoom invite, cancel the download, then click the having problems link to download again. Cancel it again. It will show you a link to join by browser. A few other meeting apps have dark patterns like this. One of my favorite things about Hangouts Meet is it's web first.

What I find irritating is this proliferation of meeting apps like these, all using their own proprietary variations of protocols and consuming huge amounts of system resources, when there has been a standard protocol for it that's been around since the late 90s, with a variety of different clients available: SIP. One could be sent a SIP URI for a meeting and it would work in any client. Maybe it's like IRC vs all the…

Excuse my ignorance but is there a good implementation out there that uses this protocol? Jitsi perhaps?

Re: Zoom monitors activity on your computer

#90

Post by kelnos »

gsich wrote: post #56
kelnos wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, all this doesn't sound great, but... the specific accusation in the tweet is that they're tracking other applications that are open. Their privacy policy does not say they do that, and the Zoom twitter account says they don't either[0]. Now, it's a matter of trust, of course (and after [1] I wouldn't blame people for a lack of trust), but to state authoritatively that Zoom tracks other open applications seems lik…

All points are so vague that this behaviour might be in either: - General information about your product and service preferences - Information about your device, network, and internet connection ... - Information about your usage of or other interaction with our Products - Other information you upload, provide, or create while using the service

Sure, as I said, the privacy policy isn't great, but the tweet specifically accused Zoom of tracking and recording what other applications people are running. There seems to be no evidence of that.
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