EU Commission staff have been advised not to use video conferencing platform Zoom for official work, after a series of privacy concerns over the California-based tech company. Staff are being encouraged to switch to other tools such as WebEx or Skype for Business.
The European Parliament has circulated similar guidelines to its employees, warning that Zoom falls into the category of “external softwares not certified as complying with data protection” standards in the EU.
Although EU institutions are reaching a common position on the communication tool, there is no hard-and-fast policy or an official endorsement of alternatives. In fact, Politico reports that many EU employees and officials still make widespread use of Zoom.
Dutch MEP Sophie in ‘t Veld admitted that, despite the unease with security issues, she finds the technology superior to other platforms: “other tools just work less well.”
Zoom responded to the concerns and said that it is fully compliant with European GDPR rules and said that the tool is used around the world by various entities active in some of the most sensitive sectors including finance, research and governance.
Nevertheless, the company is facing a backlash on home turf, too, as the US Senate raised concerns over the tool’s privacy and security measures while employees of mega-companies Google and SpaceX have been instructed not to use Zoom.
Via: Politico
