Zoom iOS update removes 'feature' that sent user data to Facebook

AppleInsider

Video conferencing service Zoom on Friday issued an update for its iOS app, removing an SDK that sent users' data to Facebook without their express consent.

Zoom for iOS was updated today to remove Facebook's SDK.

On Thursday, a report from Motherboard revealed Zoom's iOS app was sharing user analytics data with Facebook without noting the practice in its privacy policy.

Specifically, the app used Facebook's SDK to integrate "Login with Facebook," a feature that provides quick and easy sign-in capabilities. By including the SDK, however, Zoom automatically connected to and shared information with the Facebook Graph API, even if a user did not maintain Facebook account.

The company also failed to adequately inform users of its data sharing practices.

After the revelation was made public, Zoom on Friday removed Facebook's SDK for "collecting unnecessary device data."

"The data collected by the Facebook SDK did not include any personal user information, but rather included data about users' devices such as the mobile OS type and version, the device time zone, device OS, device model and carrier, screen size, processor cores, and disk space," Zoom said in a statement to Motherboard.

Zoom is "reconfiguring" the Facebook login feature to allow users to sign on with Facebook through a web browser. Users will need to download an updated version of Zoom's iOS app in order for the changes to take effect.

"We sincerely apologize for this oversight, and remain firmly committed to the protection of our users' data," Zoom said in its statement.

rrrize

Too late. Minute I read AppleInsider's reporting on this, I deleted Zoom. Fixing it just because you've been caught only communicates to me that you will do it again if you think you can get away with it.

lkrupp

I’m sure it was an innocent oversight, no harm done. They fixed it right away.  GAG ME WITH A SPOON!

agilealtitude

"We sincerely apologize for this oversight, and remain firmly committed to the protection of our users' data,"

Yeah, ok. Isn’t that what they said the last time they got caught doing something sinister?

I wouldn’t use their software if they paid me.

seanismorris

The Zuckerberg Slurp...

Quite disgusting.  You never know in which App/website that “feature” is hiding.

Disinfecting yourself of Facebook only gets you so far.  The company has spread like a virus...

cgwerks

Why the heck are people still using these social login methods?
It wasn't a good idea back in like 2012 when it started to be pushed, and certainly shouldn't be a good idea these days when we know all the bad things that have resulted.

seanismorris

cgWerks said:

Why the heck are people still using these social login methods?
It wasn't a good idea back in like 2012 when it started to be pushed, and certainly shouldn't be a good idea these days when we know all the bad things that have resulted.

They’re to lazy to use a password manager.

chasm

"Caught" or genuinely surprised it was also taking non-FB-user info, I'm glad they made the change. As they are blowing up of late, that's a lot of data that Zuck Finn won't be getting, and possibly he has had a sad over it, which makes me happy.

woodymirag

I am actually happy that Zoom responded as quickly as they did, already issuing an updated app. With their massive surge in popularity, they really didn't NEED to do this, but they did anyway. So, my take is different than the other posters, and for the moment, will take their apology at its word.

I do agree that people using social media logins are asking for any tracking that they get.

tundraboy

These bastards would not have done anything if they hadn't been caught!

It's past due for Facebook to be treated as a toxic brand name.  Microsoft should do well to minimize any interaction with them to a bare minimum.

seanismorris

tundraboy said:

These bastards would not have done anything if they hadn't been caught!

It's past due for Facebook to be treated as a toxic brand name.  Microsoft should do well to minimize any interaction with them to a bare minimum.

Microsoft is a data slurp company now also...

It’s the reason the market cap exploded the last five years.  Well that and Azure...

jgojcaj

Who cares, I'm still going to use the app. All these big companies, including the government, have a rap sheet on you anyways who WHO GIVES AF. 

rotateleftbyte

jgojcaj said:

Who cares, I'm still going to use the app. All these big companies, including the government, have a rap sheet on you anyways who WHO GIVES AF. 

I do. That's all it takes.

I don't use any (anti)Social Media Platform. Google (as much as I can), Facebook, Twitter and the rest are all blocked at my home firewall.

I've taken steps to minimise my Internet Footprint for years.

Amazon is only used as a last resort. just 3 purchases in the last year.

Do I have anything to hide? Nothing illegal but I just hate the data slurping that is going on these days.

A decade ago, I saw what the likes of Google were starting to do. That's when I decided to become a refusnik.

Yes, the Government has a rap sheet on eveyone of us. We have all broken countless laws and will continue to do so. That is a fact of life I'm afraid.

If more people thought about their internet footprint and how easy it is to find associations between you and virtually everyone else AND how that all goes to feed the dragons of FaceBook and the like you might start to think again.

qwerty52

rotateleftbyte said:

jgojcaj said:

Who cares, I'm still going to use the app. All these big companies, including the government, have a rap sheet on you anyways who WHO GIVES AF. 

I do. That's all it takes.

I don't use any (anti)Social Media Platform. Google (as much as I can), Facebook, Twitter and the rest are all blocked at my home firewall.

I've taken steps to minimise my Internet Footprint for years.

Amazon is only used as a last resort. just 3 purchases in the last year.

Do I have anything to hide? Nothing illegal but I just hate the data slurping that is going on these days.

A decade ago, I saw what the likes of Google were starting to do. That's when I decided to become a refusnik.

Yes, the Government has a rap sheet on eveyone of us. We have all broken countless laws and will continue to do so. That is a fact of life I'm afraid.

If more people thought about their internet footprint and how easy it is to find associations between you and virtually everyone else AND how that all goes to feed the dragons of FaceBook and the like you might start to think again.

I’m 100% agree with you! I hate to be “the product for sale”of all those  companies. I do not understand: you buy an Apple product to be save, sure and secure, and then start installing every gratuitous application you see, knowing that the most of them are only made, to collect and sale your data.

acheron2018

I suspect Zoom really didn’t know this would happen. I’ve spent time trying to read software licenses.  They are written with enormous care to ensure you cannot glean ANYTHING from them.  

And even if you do stumble down the rabbit hole of to whom they are selling your data it will just say “and will share collected data with trusted business partners”.

 But t is unlikely Farcebook makes this data theft explicit.  It is near impossible that a small team of IT experts trying to bring a new product to market could ever find the fact out.  

As much as I hate European law.  GDPR is pretty good.  Every company that wants to store a single bit in a persistent store should have to publish IN LAYMAN’S terms every field, it’s description and require explicit opt-in from every user.  

silverwarloc

rrrize said:

Too late. Minute I read AppleInsider's reporting on this, I deleted Zoom. Fixing it just because you've been caught only communicates to me that you will do it again if you think you can get away with it.

First thing I did when I heard.

ihatescreennames

acheron2018 said:

I suspect Zoom really didn’t know this would happen. I’ve spent time trying to read software licenses.  They are written with enormous care to ensure you cannot glean ANYTHING from them.  

I thought this was interesting from the UPS T&Cs: 

acheron2018 said:

As much as I hate European law.  GDPR is pretty good.  Every company that wants to store a single bit in a persistent store should have to publish IN LAYMAN’S terms every field, it’s description and require explicit opt-in from every user.  

I'm interested to know how many people decided not to use a service they were already using, like Facebook, after getting clear language due to GDPR. My guess is not many.

Back on topic, my child has to use Zoom to meet with her class every day. They just started using it this week. I see no update available on her iPad. 

edited March 2020

mplsp

tundraboy said:

These bastards would not have done anything if they hadn't been caught!

It's past due for Facebook to be treated as a toxic brand name.  Microsoft should do well to minimize any interaction with them to a bare minimum.

Of course not - they have a working app. I strongly suspect the higher-ups in the company truly didn't have any of much actual knowledge of data sharing. As far as they were concerned there was a 'log on with facebook' option that made things more convenient. 

Even after this was made public, the vast majority of people don't know about it, and many still don't care. The practical point for many people is Zoom works and it's being used. If your boss sets up a meeting with Zoom, you can't just say "I don't like my data being shared so I'm not going to participate in the meeting."

My question is why does using the Facebook SDK to allow Facebook logins automatically send data even if it's not being used...oh yeah, it's Facebook. Never mind. 

cpsro

IMHO the GDPR is merely a panacea. The language is still obtuse, even weird, and the companies still do what they do, with your permission.

What kind of reporting does Zoom do through its web app on macOS?

Good article on zdnet.com right now about changes in the T&C for the Apple Card that involve data sharing.

edited March 2020

spikelightfoot

I tried logging into Zoom iOS with my saved desktop credentials via 1Password, where I had signed into zoom.us.  On my iPhone at the enter username and password page I encountered this: "No Logins Found: zoom.com.cn"  China???  Alarm bells went off.  Later, the same error showed up but instead it was zoomgov.com.

At this point I have no confidence in Zoom's safe handling of my login credentials.  My request for answers from Zoom tech support has not been answered.

kubeltime

This is sensationalist. You realize AppleInsider also has a Facebook pixel on this very article (see screenshot) and doesn't call Facebook out by name in their privacy policy. This website is sending all the same data to Facebook via the pixel that Zoom did on everyone reading this article or using AppleInsider.com... This is a non-issue and is common internet best practice if you run advertising campaigns. 

AppleInsider - you're better than this for shaming Zoom for something you and almost every other website on the internet is doing...

edited March 2020