9 Apr, 2020
Who has banned Zoom? Google, NASA, and more
Cloud

Zoom’s security woes have led to a number of organizations, companies, and schools banning or restricting its use, with some recommending alternatives such as Microsoft Teams.

Video conferencing app Zoom has had a massive increase in users because of new remote work requirements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That spike in users also exposed a growing list of security flaws: Zoom bombing trolls have emerged, user email addresses and photos have leaked, calls aren’t being end-to-end encrypted, and flaws found in the Zoom installer allow an attacker to gain root access to computers that run a malicious version of it. Even Zoom CEO Eric Yuan admitted the company moved too fast and made missteps.

These security flaws have prompted some organizations, companies, governments, government agencies, and schools to ban Zoom or restrict its use. The following list will be updated if more organizations ban or restrict the use of Zoom.

SEE: Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs (TechRepublic Premium)

Companies that have banned Zoom

  • Google has banned Zoom from company-owned computers; administrators will disable it this week, and Google employees have been directed to use Duo instead.

  • SpaceX has forbidden employees from using Zoom, citing security and privacy concerns.

  • Smart Communications, a Philippines-based ISP, has banned Zoom for internal use.

Governments and government agencies that have banned Zoom

This list of countries where Zoom won’t function is based on the US government’s list of sanctions; countries on that list are not included here.  

  • Taiwan has banned Zoom for use by all government agencies.

  • NASA has banned all employees from using Zoom.

  • The German Foreign Ministry has restricted Zoom use to personal computers in emergency situations only, as reported by Reuters.

  • The United States Senate has urged its members to choose platforms other than Zoom due to security concerns, but has not issued an outright ban.

  • The Australian Defense Force banned its members from using Zoom after an Australian comedian Zoom bombed one of its meetings.

Educational institutions that have banned Zoom

Also see

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Image: TechRepublic/Brandon Vigliarolo