Zoom changes policy that uses customer's data to train AI models

NEW DELHI: Video conferencing platform Zoom has changed its terms of service following online backlash over a recent update to the company's fine print allowing AI training on customer data.

"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," Zoom said in a blogpost on Monday.

Recently, a report from StackDiary highlighted how the changes, which were quietly implemented in March, appeared to give the company broad control over customer data for AI training purposes.

In response, Zoom now stated that it will not do what its terms said it could do. Moreover, Zoom's Chief Product Officer Smita Hashim stated in the post that account owners and administrators indeed have to provide consent before sharing their data for AI training and that it is "used solely to improve the performance and accuracy of these AI services."

She added that "even if you chose to share your data, it will not be used for training of any third-party models".

"We have permission to use this customer content to provide value-added services based on this content, but our customers continue to own and control their content. For example, a customer may have a webinar that they ask us to livestream on YouTube. Even if we use the customer video and audio content to livestream, they own the underlying content," Hashim said.

Further, a new section has been added to Zoom's terms of service that make it clearer: "Notwithstanding the above, Zoom will not use audio, video or chat Customer Content to train our artificial intelligence models without your consent”.

“Our goal is to enable Zoom account owners and administrators to have control over these features and decisions, and we're here to shed light on how we do that and how that affects certain customer groups," Zoom said