As everyone is in their homes due to Covid-19, many meetings related to school and work are held in an app called Zoom. Zoom, letting up to 100 participants in one meeting, allows them to message, call, and video chat. Many schools, businesses, companies, and colleges have begun accessing this application as it is fairly simple to download. As thousands of people have been using this app all over the globe, many have been questioning the safety and security of it.

After reading many Zoom users’ experiences and problems that they faced, I believe that Zoom is not the safest app to use in meetings or conferences. There have been many cases of “zoombombing,” where hackers find the code of a zoom room and show inappropriate images of videos using the tool, “screen share.”

Not only is the code easy to access, the code can create more opportunities for danger through media. If these hacks reach to the extreme, personal information may be leaked out which will cause heavy damage to the individual but also to a group. Chris Choi, a sophomore attending Orange Lutheran High School states “I believe that the app should create a more advanced source of security due to the many important conversations that go in between the calls.”

Exposing important meetings to hackers can obviously be implied that it is a dangerous act. However, what can we do? According to an article written by Brian Feldman, it admits, “

Zoom has patched down many security spots.” As zoom is already fully aware of this situation, they are working on a stronger and firm security in the application, decreasing the risks of hacks. Victoria Choi, also a sophomore who attends Troy High School, states that there’s nothing we can do since it is a program that we are required to use.
However, the app can be developed as zoom already is aware of the problem.

As for now, Zoom is developing reliable tools to protect the user’s information and improve their services. Even though nothing can be done right now, there has been new developments in the app such as private rooms where the host has to accept members individually when they enter. There also has been password systems that have been set up which creates a stronger protection and a lowered chance of “zoombombing.” It is now up to Zoom that will have to advance and gain trust to its members.

<Erin Choi / 10th Grade Orange Lutheran HS>