Microsoft seeks to elevate Teams above Zoom with commitments to privacy and security

Video conferencing tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Skype have been the center of attention in recent weeks because of companies' increased reliance on them during coronavirus lockdowns. Zoom has been in the headlines for many of the wrong reasons, however, and Microsoft is keen to ensure it doesn't get tarred with the same brush.

The company had made a series of commitments about its Teams software, promising users that their virtual conversations are private and secure.

See also:

• Zoom CEO and other executives offloaded millions of dollars of shares before privacy and security scandals
• American schools are banning Zoom and switching to Microsoft Teams
• Zoom admits to routing some US calls through China

In a post on the Microsoft 365 blog, Microsoft details its privacy and security commitments, detailing the steps it has taken to keep users and their data safe. The company says: "At Microsoft, privacy and security are never an afterthought. It's our commitment to you -- not only during this challenging time, but always".

In the post, corporate vice president for Microsoft 365, Jared Spataro, explains the features of Teams that help to keep meetings locked down and secured. Among these are the ability to remove participants from meetings, the option of keeping would-be participants waiting in a virtual lobby for vetting, and the use of AI to prevent bullying and harassment.

Spataro also notes:

When recording a meeting, all participants are notified when a recording starts, and online participants can access our privacy notice directly. Recordings are only available to the people on the call or people invited to the meeting. And recordings are stored in a controlled repository that is protected by permissions and encryption.

Pointing out that the safeguarding of privacy is "by design", he outlines Microsoft's privacy commitments:

• We never use your Teams data to serve you ads.
• We do not track participant attention or multi-tasking in Teams meetings.
• Your data is deleted after the termination or expiration of your subscription.
• We take strong measures to ensure access to your data is restricted and carefully define requirements for responding to government requests for data.
• You can access your own customer data at any time and for any reason.
• We offer regular transparency reports on the Transparency Hub, detailing how we have responded to third-party requests for data.

In an apparent nod to Zoom's questionable definition of end-to end encryption, Microsoft points out that it is a leader in security and "processes more than 8 trillion security signals every day and uses them to proactively protect you from security threats". It goes on to say: "In Teams, we encrypt data in transit and at rest, storing your data in our secure network of datacenters and using Secure Real-time Transport Protocol (SRTP) for video, audio, and desktop sharing".

For added peace of mind, Microsoft reminds users that Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is available, and that "Teams supports more than 90 regulatory standards and laws, including HIPAA, GDPR, FedRAMP, SOC, and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) for the security of students and children".