Zoom says it will use machine-learning to crack down on nudity as virtual sex parties spread
- As Zoom has established itself as a staple of quarantine communication, people are turning to the video-conferencing platform for business meetings, classes, social gatherings, and —in some circles — sex parties.
- Nudity and pornography are banned by Zoom's "acceptable use" policy, and a spokesperson for the platform told Rolling Stone that the company would be using "a mix of tools," including machine learning, to identify accounts in violation of its policies.
- Company executives did not specify what the machine learning tools are or what methods are being used to identify offending users, but a spokesperson for Zoom directed Insider to its privacy policies which state Zoom does not monitor meetings or meetings' contents.
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While the coronavirus pandemic and resultant social distancing measures have proven devastating to entire industries, the new normal has provided an unparalleled opportunity for one particular company. Zoom, a video-conferencing platform that facilitates remote business meetings, has become a staple of quarantine life and all remote communication, reporting 200 million daily users in March. In a message posted on the company's blog, CEO Eric Yuan said that the platforms' new users included teachers and students from 90,000 schools across 20 countries.
In an effort to find levity amid a global health crisis, users are hosting parties on the platform, experimenting with whimsical backgrounds, and posting their entertaining Zoom mishaps online.
As Rolling Stone reported, the app is now playing host to virtual sex parties, "play parties," and group check-ins which have become, as one host said, "the mutual appreciation jerk-off society."
According to Zoom's "acceptable use" policy, users may not use the technology to "engage in any activity that is harmful, obscene, or indecent, particularly as such would be understood in the context of business usage." The policy specifies that this includes "displays of nudity, violence, pornography, sexually explicit material, or criminal activity."
In response, Zoom has voiced the company's intention to use 'machine learning' to crack down on accounts in violation of its policies — though it has remained vague about its methods for identifying offending users and content.
"We encourage users to report suspected violations of our policies, and we use a mix of tools, including machine learning, to proactively identify accounts that may be in violation," a spokesperson for Zoom told Rolling Stone.
While Zoom executives did not respond to the outlet's questions about the specifics of the machine-learning tools or how the platform might be alerted to nudity and pornographic content, a spokesperson did add that the company will take a "number of actions" against people found to be in violation of the specified acceptable use.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Zoom referred Insider to the "acceptable use" policy as well as the platform's privacy policy which states that Zoom "does not monitor your meetings or its contents."
The spokesperson also pointed to Yuan's message in which he addressed how the company has "fallen short" of users' "privacy and security expectations," referencing instances of harassment and Zoom-bombing, and laid out the platform's action plan going forward.
Plans include enacting a "feature freeze;" creating a "transparency report" that details information regarding requests for data, records, or content; and holding a weekly webinar detailing privacy and security updates to the platform.
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