New York bans Zoom in American schools
The education department of New York prohibits schools from using the video platform Zoom any longer. The web services of the American listed company are not safe, according to the regulator. This is reported by the American newspaper The New York Times.
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Many Dutch schools also use Zoom for home education. An entire class can jointly use the program to make free video calls, simply by clicking on a link in an e-mail.
"We certainly received the news and the criticism of Zoom," responds Niels Vernooy, a teacher in group 8 at a school in Laren. "We still use it with the school and keep a close eye on the situation. We no longer share documents via the program and do not use the chat function. Zoom did take immediate measures. For example, students without a password cannot access my meeting. more in. You can see that Zoom is busy closing all leaks."
We still use Zoom, but keep a close eye on the situation
According to a spokesperson for the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP), it is currently unclear whether Zoom has a European headquarters in the Netherlands. "If it is in another country, the regulator in that country is responsible for enforcement," said the spokesman. "That's how tasks are divided in Europe."
Hackers
In general, the AP is concerned about the vulnerability of video programs and other online services to hackers and the way in which these providers deal with privacy: “If services are free, you as a user have to take into account that a provider earns money from selling of your data."
If services are free, as a user you have to take into account that a provider earns money from selling your data
Later this week, the AP will publish an overview in which providers of online working from home software are assessed for security and privacy protection. Major providers such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams will be included in this overview. "It is difficult to immediately switch to another program, because Zoom now works well for the students and is well known," says teacher Vernooy. "In the background, we are seriously looking at other options and we certainly take the privacy of our students into account."
Fines
Reporting in the American media shows that data from Zoom users can end up on the street. In addition, hackers have disrupted virtual lessons with pornographic and racist images. The New York Times reports that New York State is advising users to transition to Microsoft Teams. Zoom CEO Eric Yuan has since acknowledged that the company has made mistakes. Yuan promises to improve.
Hackers have disrupted virtual lessons with pornographic and racist images
If companies violate privacy or provide unsafe services, the AP will issue fines. The Dutch tennis association and taxi company Uber are among the companies that have been fined since the entry into force of the Personal Data Protection Act on 25 May 2018.
