Zoom to let free users use end-to-end encryption

Zoom is going to offer users of the free version of its software the option to use end-to-end encryption in the future. The original intention was to make that feature available only to paying customers.

Zoom says that before they can enable end-to-end encryption, free users must register with a phone number, for example. The extra step is to prevent attackers from creating massive accounts for abuse and then staying out of sight of police forces by using end-to-end encryption.

Zoom first said it wanted to allow free users’ conversations to be tapped by government agencies to prevent abuse, and end-to-end encryption makes that impossible; the app on one phone or computer encrypts the image in a way that only the recipient can decrypt it. The feature will at all times remain an option that users can enable themselves, but will not be mandatory.

The beta of end-to-end encryption is coming next month, the company says. It’s one of the many steps Zoom is taking to boost security. The possible extra-heavy encryption is separate from the aes 256-bit encryption with gcm that the company introduced for every user on May 30.