Mozilla Says Zoom Is More Secure Than Houseparty, Doxy, and Discord
Zoom has its problems, but it still passed
In the age of coronavirus, video apps have become the world’s go-to alternative for in-person interaction. As a parent, I use Zoom every day to keep my toddler connected to his preschool and for virtual playdates. Others are using the apps for purposes as diverse as creating online nightclubs (complete with big-name DJs), meeting with a doctor, governing, praying — even hooking up.
But how secure and private are these apps? Data breaches, Zoombombing, and good old-fashioned corporate data hoarding have plagued video apps since they exploded into the world’s consciousness earlier this year. What do we, as users, need to know before entrusting the most intimate details of our lives to these apps?
A new report by the security researchers at the nonprofit Mozilla Foundation — the organization behind the Mozilla web browser and other online security and privacy initiatives — aims to answer this question.
To produce the report, Mozilla’s researchers delved into the security and privacy of 15 popular video apps. They looked at factors including authentication options, password requirements, data retention, encryption, and data sharing policies. Many of the report’s findings are surprising…
