A class action complaint alleging privacy violations by Zoom may entitle millions of customers to a payout. Zoom has agreed to pay $85 million to settle the complaint, which claims it improperly shared personal data with Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn, and allowed hackers to “Zoombomb” virtual meetings during the pandemic.
On Saturday, the preliminary settlement was filed with the US District Judge in San Jose, California. A hearing is scheduled for 21st October. If approved, qualified Zoom users could receive a 15% refund of their monthly fee, up to $25. If you are eligible for payment, how do you go about getting it? Read on to learn more.
Are You Eligible for a Zoom Payment?
Using the Zoom app for personal use (not business or government) between March 30, 2016, and July 30, 2021, qualifies for a Zoom refund. This includes Zoom’s free users as well.
How Much Money Can Zoom Provide You?
If you are qualified based on the dates above and paid for a Zoom account, you could get 15% of your subscription fee back, up to a maximum of $25. Get $15 if you qualify but had a free Zoom account. These fees may change depending on the number of claims.
Surplus monies will be allocated to claimants “if economically viable,” the settlement states. If not, the excess funds will go to the Electronic Privacy Information Center and Electronic Frontier Foundation.
How Will You Get Your Zoom Settlement Money?
If the settlement is accepted in October, Zoom will supply the settlement administrator with names, emails, addresses, and account numbers. A refund request will be sent to you by email or postal mail, and you will be requested for your name, address, email, and claim number. If you weren’t alerted but believe you qualify, provide an email associated with your Zoom account, a Zoom account number, or proof that you were harmed. More information will be available soon at ZoomMeetingsClassAction.com.
Among other things, Zoom said it would inform people when hosts or meeting participants use third-party apps in meetings and provide specialist privacy training to employees.
“Zoom values our users’ privacy and security, and we value their confidence,” a Zoom representative stated on Monday. “We are proud of our platform’s advances and look forward to continuing to innovate with privacy and security in mind,” he added.
