It’s not like there’s anything surprising about the above headline but the video chat app Zoom which was in the spotlight earlier due to some privacy issues has been caught sending user data secretly to Facebook.
According to research conducted by the Vice tech branch, it revealed that the iOS version of the Zoom app has been surreptitiously sharing analytical data with Facebook even of those users who are not on the social media platform.
The data being shared includes the time the Zoom app is being opened, phone carrier, device location, and information that can be used to target ads.
According to the research, the reason that Zoom is able to share the information with Facebook, even though it has no direct correlation, is that the Zoom app uses Facebook’s software development kits. So when the Zoom app is launched it immediately connects with Facebook’s graphic application program interface (API).
Zoom users may not be aware that this is happening nor know that when they are using one app, that app is also sharing information with other apps.
The even more surprising bit is that Zoom’s privacy policy mentions that the app’s third-party service providers and advertisers “automatically collect some information about you” when you use Zoom’s products.
However, it doesn’t talk anything about the app secretly sending any form of data to Facebook. Especially of users who don’t even have a Facebook account.
Zoom has already had a major security vulnerability that the company fixed in 2019, but many internet privacy groups are still skeptical of the video conferencing platform's security practices.
Since the lockdown has been in effect many organisations, educational institutions and offices have turned to Zoom to communicate on a daily basis.
Even though this service is free to use and conveniently at your disposal, there’s a lot at stake when it comes to privacy.
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