Zoom has u-turned its decision to restrict end-to-end encryption after a successful petition, allowing end-to-end encryption for all user accounts.
The calls to add the security feature were spearheaded by an
open letter to Zoom CEO Eric Yuan, launched by FireFox search browser developer Mozilla in partnership with the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF). The letter was signed by more than 19,000 Zoom users after
Zoom announced that end-to-end encryption would only be available to paid users.
The move to restrict end-to-end encryption initially preceded Zoom’s announcement to
implement geo-blocking following demands from the People’s Republic of China to restrict access for PRC citizens to Tiananmen Square Massacre commemorations held on the platform.
In a statement, Eric Yuan, CEO, Zoom said: “Since releasing the draft design of Zoom’s end-to-end encryption (E2EE) on May 22, we have engaged with civil liberties organizations, our CISO council, child safety advocates, encryption experts, government representatives, our own users, and others to gather their feedback on this feature. We have also explored new technologies to enable us to offer E2EE to all tiers of users.
“Today, Zoom released an updated E2EE design on GitHub. We are also pleased to share that we have identified a path forward that balances the legitimate right of all users to privacy and the safety of users on our platform. This will enable us to offer E2EE as an advanced add-on feature for all of our users around the globe – free and paid – while maintaining the ability to prevent and fight abuse on our platform.”