Zoom Video Communications Inc. will pay $ 85 million to settle a class action lawsuit that alleged Zoom failed to protect user privacy, plaintiffs’ lawyers have said.

The settlement is awaiting approval by a judge, with a motion for preliminary approval filed in federal court in San José on Monday, lawyers said.

The lawsuit against the San Jose-based video conferencing company was first filed in March 2020 and included a dozen plaintiffs who alleged that Zoom failed to provide end-to-end encryption for meetings, shared user information. incorrectly and left users exposed to “zoomombing”. “, that is, when unauthorized third parties join a videoconference with the intention of disrupting it.

In addition to paying $ 85 million in cash compensation, the settlement also calls on Zoom to implement comprehensive reforms to its service, including giving meeting hosts more access and control over who can join their staff. meetings; and developing a better system for tracking users and reporting to encounter disruptions, among other reforms.

The plaintiffs are represented by the law firms of Cotchett, Pitre and McCarthy and Ahdoot and Wolfson.

“Millions of Americans continue to use the Zoom platform in the hope that their conversations will be kept private and secure. If approved by the court, this groundbreaking settlement will provide substantial recovery of money for Zoom users and implement privacy practices that in the future will help keep users safe and secure, ” Cotchett, Pitre and McCarthy attorney Mark Molumphy said in a statement. declaration.

“The privacy and security of our users is a top priority for Zoom, and we take the trust our users place in us seriously. We are proud of the progress we have made on our platform and look forward to continuing to innovate by putting privacy and security at the forefront, ”Zoom said in response to the proposed regulation.

In May 2020, two of the plaintiffs, Saint Paulus Lutheran Church in San Francisco and its administrator Heddi Cundle, alleged that during a course hosted through Zoom, a hacker hijacked students’ computer screens, disabled their control buttons and broadcast pornographic videos depicting the two adults. and children, causing Cundle and others to be “traumatized and deeply disturbed,” according to the lawsuit.

At the time, Zoom said he was “deeply upset” by the “zoombombing” and had since identified the offender, blocked their access to the platform and reported them to authorities.