Why Zoom Is Not Doomed Yet: Privacy and Security Crisis Response in the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic not only fueled the explosive growth of Zoom but also led to a major privacy and security crisis in March 2020. This research examines Zoom’s response to this privacy and security crisis with the aid of a producer’s perspective that aims to direct attention to institutional and organizational actors and draws on theories of privacy management and organizational crisis communication. We primarily use data from 14 weekly Ask Eric Anything webinars from April 8 to July 15, 2020, to illustrate the strategies of Zoom’s crisis response, especially organizational representation, the contours of its analytic account acknowledging and minimizing responsibility, and patterns of corrective and preventive action for user education and product improvement. Results demonstrate the usefulness of the producer’s perspective that sheds light on how Zoom navigated the privacy and security crisis. Special attention is paid to the mobilization of networks of executives, advisors, consultants, and clients for expertise, endorsement, and collaboration. It is argued that Zoom’s response strategies have contributed to Zoom’s organizational mission and culture and reframed the crisis from a growing pain to a growth opportunity relating to privacy and security. Zoom’s nimble, reasonable, collaborative, interactive yet curated organizational response to the privacy and security crisis can be seen as an unintended consequence of its sudden rise amid a global pandemic. It offers a useful model for tech firms’ crisis response at a crucial moment for the tech industry around the world.