Security News > 2020 > July > Regulators Urge Video Conferencing Companies to Improve Security, Privacy
In an open letter this week, six data protection and privacy regulators from around the world have asked video teleconferencing organizations to focus on security and privacy-by-design.
The regulatory community, which is responsible for ensuring the privacy of individuals worldwide, is concerned that the increased use of video conferencing solutions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the risks associated with the handling of personal information by VTC companies, and has created additional risks as well.
In addition to voicing their concerns, the privacy watchdogs detailed their expectations regarding the manner in which video conferencing companies are expected to mitigate said risks, as well as the steps they should take to ensure they secure the personal information of users.
The regulators also encourage VTC companies to identify and address other data protection and privacy issues associated with their services, and regularly review their stance on privacy and even work with regulators to mitigate risks that they cannot resolve.
VTC companies are also encouraged to identify the environments in which their services are used, so as to ensure they can deliver data security and privacy in all contexts, to be transparent about the data they collect and how they share it, and to ensure that users have the appropriate information and control when using their services.