Taiwan asks govt agencies not to use Zoom on security grounds

Taiwan's cabinet has told government agencies not to use Zoom Video Communications Inc's conferencing app, the latest blow to the company fighting criticism of its booming platform over privacy and security concerns.

Zoom's daily users jumped to more than 200 million in March following coronavirus lockdowns forced employees to work from home and schools switched to the company's free app for conducting and coordinating online classes.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

However, the company is facing a backlash from users worried about the lack of end-to-end encryption of meeting sessions and "zoombombing", where uninvited guests crash into meetings.

If government agencies must hold video conferencing, they "should not use products with security concerns, like Zoom", Taiwan's cabinet said in a statement on Tuesday. It did not elaborate on what the security concerns were.

The island's education ministry later said it was banning the use of Zoom in schools.

Taiwan would be the first government formally advising against the use of Zoom, although some U.S. schools districts are looking at putting limits on its use after an FBI warning last month.

Zoom competes with Microsoft's Teams, Cisco's Webex and Google's Hangouts.

Taiwan's cabinet said domestically-made conferencing apps were preferred, but if needed products from Google and Microsoft could also be considered.

Zoom's shares dipped 1% in premarket trading on the Nasdaq.