Zoom users have been receiving a potentially suspicious email from Equipay explaining that they may be entitled to compensation from a class-action lawsuit. So, is it real or is it a scam?
With so many scams in the world, being skeptical of this kind of message is more than reasonable. Email scams have become a common aspect of online life, and doing your due diligence to make sure you aren't at risk is always a good call.
Fortunately, we've got good news for you, as the email from Equipay regarding the Zoom settlement is real and not a scam. Read on to learn more about potential payout and whether it's safe to keep using Zoom.
Zoom Settlement Email Is Real
If you've received an email from noreply@epiqpay.com with the subject line, “Zoom Video Communications Settlement: Notice of Upcoming Settlement Payment,” you're in luck! This means that you are part of a class-action settlement that could result in payment to your account.
The settlement payout applies to all Zoom users that used, opened, or downloaded Zoom between March 30, 2016, and July 30, 2021 and the amount is $25 or 15% of your subscription cost (if that exceeds $25).
How to Get Your Money from Zoom
If you used Zoom between 2016 and 2021, you're probably pretty excited to get your hands on that $25 payout. However, there is a stipulation that might get in the way.
The only avenue to receiving the payout is to have filed a claim by March 5, 2022 with the company to be brought into the class action lawsuit.
If you've done that, you've likely received the email that we're talking about above, which houses a Claim Payment link that can walk you through the process.
What's the Zoom Settlement for?
According to the class action lawsuit, there are four primary reasons why this case was brought against Zoom. Here they are, as found on the Zoom class action lawsuit FAQ:
- Unauthorized sharing of users’ information with third parties through incorporation of software development kits (SDKs) in the Zoom application.
- Unauthorized sharing of users’ information with third parties through the third-party developers’ employment of apps that can be installed and run on the Zoom platform (known as “marketplace apps”).
- Failure to prevent unwanted meeting disruptions by third parties.
- Misrepresentations that Zoom provided end-to-end encryption at a time when Plaintiffs allege Zoom did not
While Zoom “denies these allegations and denies any liability whatsoever,” they company agreed to settle the lawsuit “to avoid the risk and cost of further litigation.”
Is Zoom Secure?
When considering whether or not this settlement calls into question the security of Zoom, it's important to note that the infractions occurred between March 2020 and May 2020. If you remember, that was the start of the global pandemic, which saw millions upon millions of users flocking to Zoom, a relatively unknown service at the time.
This unprecedented influx of users caused a lot of security problems for Zoom, including everything from lost data and “Zoom bombing,” which saw hackers accessing private meetings they were not invited to. So, does this mean that Zoom is secure enough to handle meetings in 2023?
Since all that pandemic madness, Zoom has substantially bolstered security, adding end-to-end encryption and a wide range of other security improvements to keep user data safe. All that to say, Zoom is secure enough to use in 2023, and with a bit of extra money in your pocket, you should even be able to afford a Zoom paid plan.
