In a significant move to strengthen data privacy practices, Zoom has introduced a range of new measures that provide users with increased control and insight into their personal information.
The latest developments from Zoom's privacy, product, and engineering teams aim to foster trust by empowering users to take ownership of their privacy preferences and confidently utilize digital technologies.
Privacy Solutions from Zoom
As part of its commitment to data privacy, Zoom has developed solutions that enable individuals to manage their data and privacy settings easily.
One of the prominent additions to Zoom's privacy toolkit is the introduction of EEA-based Data Storage. Paid customers located in the European Economic Area (EEA) now have the option to select specific data related to Meetings, Webinars, and Team Chat to be stored within the EEA.
This localized storage ensures that their data remains within the EEA boundaries. Data will be shared with US teams only in exceptional circumstances, such as when necessary for Zoom's Trust & Safety team.
Zoom has established a dedicated European Support Team to cater to European customers' needs. Opting into this service allows customers to receive direct technical support from local employees within the EEA during regular business hours. This localized support system aims to strengthen data protection measures and ensures prompt assistance to users.
Zoom has also introduced a new tool, the Data Subject Access Requests, designed to simplify the process of responding to data access or deletion requests.
Administrators can efficiently handle these requests concerning Zoom Meetings, Webinars, and Team Chat, thereby facilitating compliance with GDPR and CCPA regulations.
In a bid to offer users more flexibility, Zoom has implemented the Marketing Preference Center. Users can now easily opt-in or out of Zoom's marketing communications and newsletters, granting them greater control over their inboxes.
Transparency and accountability are crucial to privacy practices, and Zoom recognizes their significance. To address this, Zoom has introduced the Audit Log Tracking feature, enabling account owners and administrators to monitor specific actions taken on behalf of users.
This includes tracking when administrator audit logs are exported or deleted, providing an additional layer of transparency and oversight.
Zoom-SURF Partnership
Lynn Haaland, Chief Compliance, Ethics, & Privacy Officer and Deputy General Counsel at Zoom, expressed pride in the privacy updates and emphasized the company's dedication to protecting customer data.
The close partnership between Zoom and SURF, the collaborative organization dedicated to ICT in Dutch education and research, has been instrumental in developing these privacy features. Many of the significant advancements in privacy directly result from this collaboration between the two entities.