Zoom Agrees To $85 Million Privacy Settlement Over Sharing Data With Facebook, Other Tech Companies

Facebook often gets in trouble for violating users’ privacy — however, the social media giant is so large and powerful that it can get other companies in trouble, too. This week, a judge ruled that the popular video chat platform Zoom must pay $85 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it violated users’ privacy rights by sharing their personal data with Facebook and other social media companies.

As part of the settlement, Zoom users could receive a partial refund of their subscription. The company also announced that it will alert users when meeting hosts or other participants are using third-party apps like Facebook. Additionally, the company said it will offer specialized training to its employees on data and privacy handling.

“The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us,” a Zoom spokesperson told NPR in a statement. “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.”

While it’s a good thing that Zoom is stepping up to take responsibility for its privacy failings, none of this would’ve happened in the first place if it wasn’t for Facebook’s thirst for user data. The company’s need to gather as much of our information as possible is the reason Zoom is in hot water — and it’s the reason Facebook itself is constantly embroiled in controversy.




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