As Guido reported last week, plans for a ‘hybrid’ virtual House of Commons have now been revealed, allowing up to 50 MPs in the Chamber following strict social distancing rules, with a further 120 MPs at any one time being able to take part in proceedings virtually. Controversial app Zoom has been chosen as the video communication tool of choice for MPs to use…

This is despite a number of security concerns, not least about user data being routed through China or personal email addresses being leaked to other users, being raised about the app. As a result of the controversy companies and Governments have begun to advise it is not used…

• Google banned employees last week to not use Zoom any more
• The US Senate has told its members not to hold meetings over the app
• Siemens told its employees not to use Zoom
• New York City Department of Education has banned it over ‘Zoom bombing’ where uninvited guests gain access to and join calls that were meant to be private.
• Taiwan banned any government authorities from using Zoom, as University of Toronto researchers found that Zoom traffic was being routed through China.
• Indian Government banned Zoom “for use by government employees for official purposes.”
• Singapore banned teachers from using Zoom

Most of Zoom’s product development personnel are based in China, where it has some 700 staff. Presumably given the proceeding of Parliament are in public, the Chinese Communist Party listening in is not deemed a risk…