In theory, I agree, but in practice, I have used #Ring, the earlier version of #Jami. The experience was so poor that I can no longer get my in-person contacts to try anything that is not #Facebook / #Instagram / #Zoom. And that's without ever trying the #videochat functionality ... we only used text chats and it was still a really poor experience.
I've heard it got better, but of course, none of my in-person contacts will try it again. This also affects apps like #Briar and #Session.
So there's a virtual auditorium (which opens a #Zoom link) and an exhibit hall. I haven't chatted with any vendor booth attendants, but I did get to read a bunch of documents and view some short videos introducing the vendors and their products. This part is decent.
The event site reminds me of a virtual campus, except that Zoom really does not fit it very well.
I point this out because #Zoom was sued by some US states because it was caught selling data taken from calls that were claimed to be encrypted #E2EE.
And I think it was #Telegram that is said to have really good encryption, but it is optional and must be enabled on a per-chat basis.
Also, if the client app grabs the info and puts it into plain-text logs before encrypting it for transmittal, the E2EE doesn't really help, as any secret could be exposed in the logs
> Zoom has agreed to pay $85 million to settle claims that it lied about offering end-to-end encryption and gave user data to Facebook and Google without the consent of users. The settlement between Zoom and the filers of a class-action lawsuit also covers security problems that led to rampant "Zoombombings."
> The proposed settlement would generally give Zoom users $15 or $25 each and was filed Saturday at US District Court for the Northern District of California. It came nine months after Zoom agreed to security improvements and a "prohibition on privacy and security misrepresentations" in a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, but the FTC settlement didn't include compensation for users.
This is wholly inadequate. The company told users their data was end-to-end encrypted, so that it was impossible for anyone to intercept, then intercepted that data and sold it to other companies. This offense should earn the company the death penalty: seize its assets and then dissolve the company.
@storm #Zoom seems to be very hit or miss. I've had about 50% success rate ... but every success has been lecture style, where only the presenter's camera and microphone were shared.
Every time it was a family (or other group's) "hey, let's have a meeting", it failed.
#Zoom fails again! I wonder if I should start calling it and things like it #suckware This time it connected, but the Mic didn't work, and the audio came out of the speakers instead of the headset. I tried it on my Android, but it straight up failed on there, not sure why. I really do like that suckware term though lol. Maybe that should apply to anything not opensource?
National conference on #Zoom for $EMPLOYER #TechTeam. Lots of tech and management babble. Rumors of staff cuts (denied, of course, but most of us have been off work all year).
Admitting wrongdoing (or pushing through to a final judgement of wrongdoing) is important because this is intentionally lying to customers, and as a consequence, making customers unknowingly non-compliant with their relevant regulations.
Potentially, medical offices that were using #Zoom during the period in question could have faced unexpected lawsuits. Therefore, IMO, a settlement that doesn’t include both a fine and some restitution is inadequate.
I’m not thrilled with this (or most) such settlements. As the article mentions, customers and users of #Zoom won’t get any compensation. As always, the company admits no wrongdoing.
> The settlement is supported by the FTC's Republican majority, but Democrats on the commission objected because the agreement doesn't provide compensation to users.
> "Today, the Federal Trade Commission has voted to propose a settlement with Zoom that follows an unfortunate FTC formula," FTC Democratic Commissioner Rohit Chopra said. "The settlement provides no help for affected users. It does nothing for small businesses that relied on Zoom's data protection claims. And it does not require Zoom to pay a dime. The Commission must change course."
> FURTHER READING
> Zoom brings in former Facebook security head amid lawsuits, investigations
> Under the settlement, "Zoom is not required to offer redress, refunds, or even notice to its customers that material claims regarding the security of its services were false," Democratic Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter said. "This failure of the proposed settlement does a disservice to Zoom's customers, and substantially limits the deterrence value of the case." While the settlement imposes security obligations, Slaughter said it includes no requirements that directly protect user privacy.
> Zoom is separately facing lawsuits from investors and consumers that could eventually lead to financial settlements.
> Zoom has agreed to upgrade its security practices in a tentative settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which alleges that Zoom lied to users for years by claiming it offered end-to-end encryption.
> "[S]ince at least 2016, Zoom misled users by touting that it offered 'end-to-end, 256-bit encryption' to secure users' communications, when in fact it provided a lower level of security," the FTC said today in the announcement of its complaint against Zoom and the tentative settlement. Despite promising end-to-end encryption, the FTC said that "Zoom maintained the cryptographic keys that could allow Zoom to access the content of its customers' meetings, and secured its Zoom Meetings, in part, with a lower level of encryption than promised."
If you don’t install their malware client, you can eventually get a view in browser link (click download the client, then let your browser discard the unwanted software), but you have to cross a hideous ReCaptcha gauntlet first.
The school district’s IT department is overloaded. They’re on “no overtime”, but they aren’t permitted to do anything or set anything up until administrators / managers decide what to do. Usually, that is shortly before it has to be implemented and deployed to all district schools.
The district is trying to use the pandemic restrictions as a way to save money, while the employee unions say “we still have to pay our bills, why shouldn’t you pay yours?” ... so there is a potential of a strike.
I get the impression that this district is one of the worst in the state (reason why my sister stays there ... the kids in the district got the short end of the stick and if no one fights to make things better, that will be lifelong).
The other sister that still works for the school system has not said whether her district is doing in-classroom or online learning. I know her district is also a financially poor district, with a high level of non-English-speaking households. I know they issued mobile hotspots to some households, but many other households still had no Internet service at home.