Zoom has started offering end-to-end encryption

Video platform Zoom has started offering end-to-end encryption in its service. The encryption is available to users of the paid and free versions of Zoom. The release had already been announced.

Zoom offers the feature worldwide, the company says. Users can check whether the encryption works, because the software places a number code on everyone’s screen to verify it. If that key is different, something isn’t right. If the meeting is encrypted in the new way, the software will display a logo with a green shield. With the encryption on, Zoom cannot record the meeting.

The encryption works because the users’ devices create the key and therefore Zoom cannot decrypt the data on its own servers. With normal encryption, the keys come from Zoom’s servers.

This move by Zoom is in line with the video calling service’s aim to improve security and privacy. The company had faced quite a few security holes before, after which new security features were announced. The company was criticized over the summer for offering only end-to-end encryption to paying customers at first, but two weeks later Zoom decided to make it available to users who don’t pay for the service.