Zoom is subservient to Chinese Law potentially giving China access to Zoom meetings!

The Chinese Government (The People’s Republic of China [PRC], which is controlled by the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]) has the right to access, according to Chinese Law, any information that is exposed on Zoom Meetings — and Zoom, according to its Non-US Government Guide, will comply with the PRC’s unpublished, secret Requests to do so!

The PRC has the potential ability to access any Zoom Meeting
based upon the following three undeniable facts:

  1. The PRC implemented a law called “The National Intelligence Law of 2017” which gives the PRC access to the Data, Infrastructure and Network of any Foreign Entity that operates in China and requires the Foreign Entity to store their Data in China, and provide the PRC access to it, if requested to do so by the PRC. [17]
  2. Zoom has publicly stated that they “must comply with local law” [Chinese Law] [10], since they operate in China. Zoom’s current Non-US Government Guide still supports their statement. It stipulates that Zoom must comply with a Non-US Government Request according to “the domestic law of the requesting country”, such as China [7]. Zoom has proven it will follow Chinese Law, even when it is a criminal violation of USA Law. Zoom has already provided the PRC with access to the Metadata of Zoom Meetings, which is against USA Law [10].
  3. Zoom’s Network is directly connected to the PRC’s Networks in Hong Kong [14], which could provide the PRC with access to all of Zoom’s Infrastructure, Network and Systems anywhere in the world, including in the USA.

The combination of these three facts – the PRC’s Laws, Zoom’s subservience to the PRC’s Laws and Zoom’s Direct Connections to the PRC’s Networks potentially allows the CCP to control Zoom’s Products & Services, including access to all of the Data that is exposed within Zoom Meetings!

There is a new Department of Justice Rule, implemented on April 8th, 2025, that prohibits entities, such as Zoom, from engaging in Bulk Data Transactions with China (Hong Kong). Due to the CCP’s aforementioned potential access to all of Zoom’s Meeting’s Data, the minimum Data Thresholds required to be in violation of the new DOJ Rule are easily met by Zoom. Therefore based upon Zoom’s current Non-US Government Guide, which states that Zoom will comply with Local Law where it operates (in this case Chinese Law), Zoom is potentially in violation of the new DOJ Rule!

Synopsis of New DOJ (Department of Justice) Rule

On April 8th, 2025 the Department of Justice issued a new Final Rule [16] that prohibits access to U.S. Data by China (including Hong Kong). Zoom's Network is directly connected to China's networks (Hong Kong) [14] and therefore is potentially in violation of the new Rule!

In addition, the Rule looks to prevent the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) from using “technology products and services that it controls”, potentially such as those provided by Zoom [7,10].  According to the Fact Sheet of the Rule, the CCP's intent is to “use this data for cyber-attacks, blackmail, espionage, and intimidating activists, academics, political figures, and journalists, as well as enhancing military capabilities and for other malicious activities” … “ ‘on Americans to advance its AI goals’ and ‘surveil Americans as part of its campaign of transnational repression.’ ” … “[China] employ[s] advanced technologies like big-data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), [machine learning,] and high-performance computing to manipulate and exploit this data more effectively.” [15]

Zoom is a potential modern day Trojan horse

Unbeknownst to its Users, there is a danger hiding in plain sight, Zoom could be the conduit for the CCP to access all of their Data & Information that is exposed in Zoom Meetings!

In recent years Zoom has gained substantial market share in the United States — without its US Clients & Users being aware of the potential danger it poses to their Data. All of the above information is not common knowledge. Most IT Professionals are not aware of the danger of using Zoom.

  • Zoom maintains direct connections to the Internet Networks of the People's Republic of China (PRC) — as shown in peering record below.
  • The large research and development department of Zoom Video Communications (700 employees) is based in China (PRC). [1,3]
  • Zoom illegally transferred users' information to the Chinese government (PRC). [2,3,11]
  • In some cases the keys used for encrypting Zoom meetings were issued by servers located in Beijing. [1]
    Findings from Citizen Lab's test [1]
Zoom office in China via Citizen Lab [1]

There are further troubling details:

  • Zoom's advertised “end-to-end” encryption, deemed deceptive by the Federal Trade Commission, allowed Zoom the ability to monitor meetings. [1,9,11]
  • Zoom requires download and installation of the desktop client for most features, which gives the software expanded access to your PC. [13]
  • Use of Zoom has been banned by entities such as NASA, Siemens and SpaceX, as well as the UK Ministry of Defence and the governments of Taiwan and Germany. [4,5,6]
  • Zoom's Government Requests Guide has loopholes which allow them to do whatever they want with their customer’s data and provide it to whatever country they work in, such as China, without disclosing this to their customers. [7,8,10]
  • Zoom can use AI to filter information for whatever use they see fit, including providing it to China. [12]
Anti-Zoom graphic from All Things Secured
Graphic from allthingssecured.com [11]

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sources
  1. https://citizenlab.ca/2020/04/move-fast-roll-your-own-crypto-a-quick-look-at-the-confidentiality-of-zoom-meetings/ ⟶
  2. https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/press-release/file/1346966/dl?inline= ⟶
  3. https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.nyed.456138/gov.uscourts.nyed.456138.8.0.pdf ⟶
  4. https://www.techrepublic.com/article/who-has-banned-zoom-google-nasa-and-more/ ⟶
  5. https://www.techradar.com/news/more-top-companies-ban-zoom-following-security-fears ⟶
  6. https://metro.co.uk/2020/03/25/concern-zoom-video-conferencing-mod-bans-security-fears-12455327/ ⟶
  7. https://www.zoom.com/en/industry/government/resources/gov-requests-guide/ ⟶
  8. https://www.vox.com/technology/2023/8/9/23824799/zoom-ai-privacy-return-to-office ⟶
  9. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/1923167zoomcomplaint.pdf ⟶
  10. https://www.axios.com/2020/06/10/zoom-closes-chinese-user-account-tiananmen-square ⟶
  11. https://www.allthingssecured.com/tips/stop-using-zoom/ ⟶
  12. https://www.caidp.org/cases/zoom/ ⟶
  13. https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/04/18/zoom-remote-control-attack/ ⟶
  14. http://peeringdb.com/net/8731 ⟶
  15. https://www.justice.gov/archives/opa/media/1382526/dl ⟶
  16. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/08/2024-31486/preventing-access-to-us-sensitive-personal-data-and-government-related-data-by-countries-of-concern ⟶
  17. https://thehill.com/opinion/cybersecurity/532583-for-chinese-firms-theft-of-your-data-is-now-a-legal-requirement/ ⟶