CR sent a letter (see PDF above) on April 30, 2020, to three providers of video conferencing services: Cisco, Google, and Microsoft. Based on our review of the policies for Cisco’s Webex, Google’s Meet, Duo, and Hangouts, and Microsoft’s Skype and Teams, CR urged the companies to raise the standard of security, privacy, and transparency for their products.
Although our letter was directed at three companies who provide video chat tools, our recommendations are broadly applicable to any platform that offers video conferencing features as consumers deserve access to these services without sacrificing the privacy or security of their data and personal conversations. Video conferencing services are a critical part of how people are weathering the physical distancing required at this time, and people shouldn’t have to make a choice between social connections, or work, or their privacy.
