Zoom Agrees to $85M Settlement in Possible Class Action Over Data-Sharing, Zoombombing

Zoom has agreed to pay $85 million — and to bolster its security practices — to settle a lawsuit that had claimed Zoom violated users' privacy rights by sharing their personal data with Facebook, Google and LinkedIn, and by failing to stop Zoombombing.

Engadget reports: The preliminary settlement also requires tougher security measures, such as warning about participants with third-party apps and offering special privacy-oriented training to Zoom staff.

Judge Lucy Koh said the company was largely protected against zoombombing claims thanks to the Communications Decency Act's Section 230 safeguards against liability for users' actions.

The settlement could also lead to payouts if the lawsuit achieves a proposed class action status, but don't expect a windfall. Subscribers would receive a refund of either 15 percent or $25, whichever was larger, while everyone else would receive as much as $15. Lawyers intended to collect up to $21.25 million in legal costs.

$85 million

[backslashdot]

That is $85 million paid mostly to a bunch of lawyers, not "to improve security". That's $85 million it couldn't invest in improving security.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

if they were investing the money in security to start with this wouldn't be a problem. still stunned how many people that supposedly care about their security and privacy that actually use Zoom, where I work we had to issue a statement to staff telling them not to use it for any business conversation or install on corporate machines. It seems so many despite being mostly logical and informed choose convenience over security any day.

Re: $85 million

[DI4BL0S]

It's sad but true, i've heard a great podcast about it, don't wana spoiler anything, its about a police station's external security team messing up really bad by choosing convenience over security. Darknet Daries: 96 The police station incident https://open.spotify.com/episo... [spotify.com]

Horrible

[Anonymous Coward]

Can they also improve their app and browser program thingy too? Holy shit it's one of the worst video chat programs I've used and yet it seems to be popular?!

Last time I started it, it forcefully took control of my main monitor and then fully locked up. Luckily I'd saved my game just before.

Re:

[rtb61]

I do not get it. Like the super cheap solution. Buy, the server, stick it in the boardroom. Log on when needed, all it does, call the people confirm connection data, everyone logs on, have a chat, IN PRIVATE. Your server, your data, the client, their data, shhh, nobody else on the internet need to know, client to client encryption, done and finished.

Bloody hell, cheap ass server do the trick like $500 run, opensource everything, they can log on with open source windows client, done and finished. Client lin

Re:

[JillElf]

It's cheap ONLY if a company already has the technical expertise to do it in house and provide training for those that will be using it. Surprise, a lot of small (and not so small) businesses don't have that expertise on staff. IT is either outsourced or handed over to the most technologically inclined person on staff, no matter how little they actually know. It the worst case scenario, a complete moron is given control of IT despite having others on staff that can at least change the fonts in a Word docume

Ah, yes, the class action lawsuit

[rmdingler]

Surprisingly enough, it is the lawyers who profit admirably while you and I get 25 dollars for the malicious redistribution of our personal data... I can't believe these rulings aren't enough to deter this sort of behavior.

Oh, wait [americanbar.org], and don't forget those with law degrees are well represented in judgeships as well.

Re:

[tlhIngan]

Surprisingly enough, it is the lawyers who profit admirably while you and I get 25 dollars for the malicious redistribution of our personal data... I can't believe these rulings aren't enough to deter this sort of behavior.

Oh, wait, and don't forget those with law degrees are well represented in judgeships as well.

File your own lawsuit then, and realize that you'd probably have spent more time and money than the damages would've caused you. Companies know this, which is why it's better to steal $1 from 1 m

Why did they have anything to share?

[WoodstockJeff]

If you do not give these companies "personal information", it is that much harder for them to share it with others. When they're insistent on having it. give them bogus information.

Better than expected

[SuperKendall]

When I saw the headline, thought I'd never see a bit of that as a zoom user.

But it seems like I'd actually get $15 which is pretty good as these class action suits go.

I mean yeah it's terrible and the lawyers are making a ton, just saying it's surprising to see some actually go to so many users.

Paralympics

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

Subscribers would receive a refund of either 15 percent or $25, whichever was larger, while everyone else would receive as much as $15. Lawyers intended to collect up to $21.25 million in legal costs.

Lawyers get enough for a megayacht, everyone else a coupon for free fries.

Parasite class. A parasite lives off the host, to the degradation of the host.