As the coronavirus pandemic forced millions of people to stay home over the past two months, Zoom suddenly became the video meeting service of choice: Daily meeting participants on the platform surged from 10 million in December to 200 million in March, and 300 million in April.
With that popularity came Zoom’s privacy risks extending rapidly to massive numbers of people. From built-in attention-tracking features to recent upticks in “Zoombombing” (in which uninvited attendees break in and disrupt meetings, often with hate-filled or pornographic content), the company’s security practices have been drawing more attention — along with at least three lawsuits.
Here’s everything we know about the security saga, and when it happened. If you aren’t familiar with Zoom’s security issues, you can start from the bottom and work your way up to the most recent information. We’ll continue updating this story as more issues and fixes come to light.
Intel report: Zoom could be vulnerable to foreign surveillance
USA government intelligence analysis obtained has warned that Zoom could be vulnerable to intrusions by foreign government spy services. Issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cyber Mission and Counterintelligence Mission centers, the analysis has reportedly been distributed to government and law enforcement agencies around the country. The notice warns that security updates to the software may not be effective as malicious actors may “capitalize on delays and develop exploits based on the vulnerability and available patches.” 
Pentagon restricts Zoom use
The Department of Defense issued new guidance on the use of Zoom, as reported Friday by Voice of America. While the Pentagon’s new rule allows the use of Zoom for Government, a paid service tier of the software, a spokesperson told VOA that “DOD users may not host meetings using Zoom’s free or commercial offerings.”
US Senate to avoid Zoom
The US Senate told members to avoid using Zoom for remote work during the coronavirus lockdown due to security issues surrounding the videoconferencing app, the Financial Times reported Thursday. It reportedly isn’t an official ban, like Google issued for its employees, but senators were apparently asked to use an alternative platform.
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Singapore teachers banned from Zoom
Singapore’s Ministry of Education said it’s suspended the use of Zoom by teachers after receiving reports of obscene Zoombombing incidents targeting students learning remotely. Channel News Asia reported that the ministry is currently investigating the incidents.
German government warns against Zoom use
According to German newspaper Handelsblatt, the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs told employees in a circular this week to stop using Zoom due to security concerns. “Because of the associated risks for our IT system as a whole, we have, like other departments and industrial companies, also decided for the (Federal Foreign Office) not to allow the use of Zoom on the devices used for business purposes,” the ministry
