Social-Media
Zoom plans to implement new blocking features to meet Chinese government requests
Zoom says it is working on new characteristics to restrict users based on geographical locations following the unprecedented suspension by the Chinese government of three user accounts in Hong Kong and the U.S.
The corporation was highly criticized for having suspended the accounts of the attack on Tiananmen Square on June 4. Zoom said in a blog post it had re-established accounts for targeted blocking and developed tools.
"Throughout the coming days, Zoom is developing technology which will allow us to remove or block the geographical level of the players," the company said.
"If local authorities agree that the activities on our website are unlawful on their territory, this will require us to comply with requests."
This announcement exacerbates concerns about Zoom 's willingness to block and suspend users to satisfy the government's wishes.
Zoom said that in May and early June it had been advised by the Chinese government that four meetings would take place to commemorate the Tiananmen massacre.
After three of the meetings either included or were likely to be attended by a number of continental Chinese participants, the enterprise agreed to end the meetings and avoid the host accounts.
Zoom claims these host accounts have been restored since then. The organization says no action has been taken against a fourth meeting.
However, Zoom states that if they had the ability to block meeting participants based on their location, it would not have concluded the meetings. The new feature, he says, could allow the meeting without any users from the country to take place outside China, which means Zoom will not be obliged to take the meeting in full.
"The Zoom does not allow the Chinese government's requests to have an effect outside mainland China," says Zoom.
Democratic campaigners have criticized Zoom 's readiness to comply with the Chinese government 's requests. Wang Dan, a target activist, told the Financial Times that his team has since switched to Google for their webcalls: "Companies with conscientiousness must not accept dictatorship requests." "Zoom has the burden of upholding American ideals as an American business."
Lee Cheuk-Yan, a campaigner based in Hong Kong, told the Guardian he used Zoom to reach the nation's activists. "I want to open the Zoom in order to reach Chinese mainland by breaking the Communist Party's censorship.
It defeats my original purpose with this strategy, "he said, saying Zoom 's response is" disgusting.
