VICTORY! Zoom will offer end-to-end encryption to all users, not just those who pay
End-to-end encryption keeps people safe and protects human rights. Every company should offer it wherever possible, and governments should stop trying to ban it
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2020
Contact: (508) 474-5248, press@fightforthefuture.org
Today, Zoom announced they will offer end to end encryption to all users.
This comes one day after civil and privacy rights groups – Fight for the Future, Mozilla, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Daily Kos, Color of Change, Council on American-Islamic Relations-SFBA, Kairos, Media Alliance, Mijente, MPower Change, Daily Kos, Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, Jewish Voice for Peace, X-Lab, S, Constitutional Alliance, Secure Justice, and Open Media – delivered 70,000 signatures to Zoom demanding they implement end to end encryption for all users.
The groups initially launched their campaign in response to Zoom’s admission that they did not use end to end encryption despite years of marketing otherwise. In April, the groups held a press conference calling on Zoom to offer end to end encryption as the single most important thing the company could do to keep people safe.
Fight for the Future, issued the following statement, which can be attributed to deputy director Evan Greer (she/her):
“This is a big victory for grassroots activists who fought hard to make sure that Zoom offers strong encryption to everyone, not just to their corporate clients and those who can pay.
End-to-end encryption is one of the most important technologies keeping people safe online, and it’s essential for basic human rights. Every company should offer users end-to-end encryption wherever possible. And companies should stand up for their users rights by refusing to enter into partnerships or build backdoors for law enforcement agencies that routinely abuse their power.
Companies should also speak out and fight for their users rights by opposing dangerous and misguided attempts by lawmakers and government agencies to undermine end-to-end encryption. Zoom should join Signal and dozens of civil society groups in opposing the EARN IT act, for example.
Lawmakers in Congress should do everything in their power to encourage the widespread adoption and use of end-to-end encryption, and should reject legislation that would undermine encryption or discourage companies from offering it.”
FFTF is currently running campaigns to oppose the reauthorization of FISA and Patriot Act surveillance authorities, calling on federal and local lawmakers to ban facial recognition, supporting protesters with surveillance self-defense advice, pressuring local elected officials to shut down Amazon Ring’s surveillance partnerships with police, and has mobilized 600k petition signers in working to stop the EARN IT act.
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