Employees can’t use Zoom on their laptops anymore, says Google

Video conferencing apps have come handy during the lockdown. Among the apps, the famous teleconferencing app has been regarded as the best until Google issues a ban on the use of this app for employees. The company is citing security concerns with the app that have arisen recently.

Google emailed its employees last week regarding the ban, telling workers who had the Zoom app installed on their Google-provided machines that the software would soon no longer be active. Google offers its own enterprise Zoom competitor called Meet as part of its G Suite offering.

“We have long had a policy of not allowing employees to use unapproved apps for work that are outside of our corporate network,” Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said. “Recently, our security team informed employees using Zoom Desktop Client that it will no longer run on corporate computers as it does not meet our security standards for apps used by our employees. Employees who have been using Zoom to stay in touch with family and friends can continue to do so through a web browser or via mobile.”

Zoom’s vulnerabilities were observed even before the lockdown was imposed. The company was facing criticism for lax privacy and security protections, like in July of last year when a macOS flaw allowed a Zoom URL to forcibly activate a MacBook webcam.