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Zoom Recorded Videos Exposed Online

Zoom is doing things right but their walls keep breaking down. The video conferencing app currently tops the charts as Kenya’s most downloaded app on both Android and iOs.

In a report by the Washington Post, it’s noted that thousands of personal Zoom videos have been left viewable on the open Web. Many of the videos appear to have been recorded through Zoom’s software and saved onto separate online storage space without a password.

It does not affect videos that remain with Zoom’s own system. Among some videos that the news outlet sighted included:

• Personal therapy sessions
• Company business meetings, involving private financial records
• Online classes where schoolchildren’s details were visible to anyone viewing the recordings.

The report stated that Zoom names every video recording in an identical way. Apparently, a simple online search can reveal a long stream of videos that anyone can download and watch.

The Washington Post is not revealing the naming convention that Zoom uses

To be clear, Zoom cannot record videos by default. However,  those hosting video calls can choose to record them and save to either Zoom servers or their own computers without participants’ consent. Participants will apparently receive a notification when a host records a meeting.

Users Should Be More Careful Too

The company has since issued a statement urging users to be careful. You should be mindful of where you save your Zoom. Zoom said that it provides a safe and secure way for hosts to store recordings. They also provide guidelines on how users can enhance their call security.

“Should hosts later choose to upload their meeting recordings anywhere else, we urge them to use extreme caution and be transparent with meeting participants. Hosts should give careful consideration to whether the meeting contains sensitive information”.