Zoom Enforces Waiting Rooms and Passwords to Block Trolls
Zoom activates waiting rooms and mandates meeting passwords by default to stop unauthorized users from hijacking video calls.
Zoom implements crucial security changes to prevent bad actors from hijacking video calls. Starting April 5th, the platform requires passwords for all meetings and enables waiting rooms by default to keep uninvited guests out.
The company's explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic highlights major privacy flaws, particularly the trend of "Zoombombing" where trolls guess meeting IDs to blast participants with offensive imagery or slurs. CEO Eric S. Yuan promises to dedicate all engineering resources to fixing these trust and safety issues.
Under the new rules, Zoom automatically includes passwords in scheduled meeting invites and requires hosts to manually approve attendees before they join. While this adds a small step for those managing large calls, it serves as a necessary barrier to protect user privacy and block unwanted intruders.