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Zoom clarifies data ownership after AI concerns

Zoom has updated its terms of service to confirm that audio, video, or chat data will not be used to train artificial intelligence models without user consent.

This follows changes made to Zoom’s terms of service earlier in the year that raised some concerns that the updates enabled AI training.

In an interview with the BBC, data protection specialist Robert Bateman said, “The terms appeared to give the service provider a lot of freedom to use data generated by its users for many different purposes.”

Bateman added that “alarm bells should ring when you encounter broad contractual provisions like these”.

Writing on the company blog, Smita Hashim, chief product officer, Zoom, said, “We’ve updated our terms of service (in section 10.4) to further confirm that we will not use audio, video, or chat customer content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent.”

This follows the recent introduction of Zoom IQ Meeting Summary and Zoom IQ Team Chat Compose. These generative AI features offer automated meeting summaries and chat composition.

Zoom said that account owners and administrators control whether to enable these AI features for their accounts. In addition, meeting hosts and participants are informed when Zoom’s generative AI services are in use.

Hashim added, “We remain committed to transparency, and our aim is to provide you with the tools you need to make informed decisions about your Zoom account. We value your privacy and are continuously working to enhance our services while respecting your rights and preferences.”