What is ‘Zoom bombing’ and how can you prevent it?

This prominent and most popular video chat app right now is being disrupted by inappropriate content

While Internet trolling is nothing new, especially for people who regularly use social media, the online world has been exposed to a new type of trolling recently. What makes it ironic is the fact that this vulnerability has emerged at a time when a majority of the global population is under lockdown, quarantined and/or working from home.

Internet trollers have taken this opportunity to disrupt the videoconferences being conducted on the Zoom app with profanity, racist remarks and hate speech. Schools, churches, and local governments around the U.S have reported being hijacked by the phenomenon known as ‘Zoom bombing’ — basically a crashing of a digital meeting by interrupting people's attempts to talk to coworkers, family, and friends on the video platform.

Zoom app has seen a mammoth rise in downloads and usage (charts below) ever since the Coronavirus outbreak took hold around the globe. People who can work from home have been using video conferencing features of this popular app extensively, not only to talk to their colleagues but to connect with family & friends as well.