The coronavirus pandemic has brought up a huge variety of different platforms people can use in order to connect to others during the times of social distancing and self-isolation – either for work meetings or for private online gatherings with friends and family. Needless to say, video chat options should be chosen carefully in terms of privacy and data protection. 

One of the big “winners” of the coronavirus crisis is the video platform Zoom, which has gained a lot of international attention and popularity while the world has been temporarily shut amid the pandemic. Offices and schools make us of the platform while they have to operate remotely – but recently, there has been growing concern over security issues in relation to the Zoom platform. It is for this reason that many are looking out for other alternatives, of which there are plenty. 

One of the experts who has been outspoken about the security concerns surrounding Zoom is Arvind Narayanan, an associate computer science professor at Princeton University. He states that a tradeoff exists between usability and security when picking a video-conferencing product, and adds that “companies or schools should consider supporting multiple software options, configuring them securely, and educating their users about the risks.” Charles Ragland, security engineer at Digital Shadows (a security provider based in San Francisco), names the end-to-end encryption of calls and data protection policies as two of the most important criteria when evaluating a video conferencing platform. As to him, companies offering technology for video conferencing should be in compliance with privacy frameworks like Europe´s General Data Protection Regulation or California´s Consumer Privacy Act. Furthermore, they should inform users about what data is being collected, and which third parties can access that data. 

In the following, a couple of different video-conferencing tools are named and compared, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. 

This California-based platform went public in 2019 with a value of $16bn; it quickly gained popularity and is the most used app for online meetings and events after the orders to self-isolate have been given earlier this year. 

Advantages: it´s usability is one big pro of the app, anyone can join a meeting easily by clicking on a link and no software download is required. If the discussed matters aren´t too private or do not contain any too personal or critical information, Zoom is a good option. 

Disadvantages: However, there have been some issues regarding security and privacy of the tool (with incidents known as “Zoom bombings” in which hackers enter chat rooms). The company has promised to fix those issues and has been working on making default options more secure by requiring passwords to join a meeting.

Recently, many schools in the US state of New York have been transitioning from Zoom to Microsoft Teams. Therefore, this work-from-home collaboration platform has noticed a huge rise of new users within the last month. 

Advantages: Microsoft Teams allows a big number of people to join a meeting – 250, to be precise – and up to 10.000 viewers through its presentation feature. Sharing files or the screen during meetings is seamless for users. The tool is free and integrates with Skype, the next app that will be presented. 

Disadvantages: The focus the app puts on business users; it is not possible to make use of the app through web browsers, like Zoom, but requires a download via a Skype account to allow individual access. 

The app Skype is another big player in the video-conferencing league. It has already been released in 2003, having a long tradition in the field of video chats. In 2011 it was bought by Microsoft, but remains a free tool for video chats until today. 

Advantages: Skype is well-known and wide-spread, and very easy to use. 

Disadvantages: There is a limit of 50 persons who can simultaneously take part in a Skype meeting. Therefore, it is not suitable for bigger companies or larger reunions. 

The platform Jitsi Meet has also been founded in 2003 (by a French student), but only recently has gained greater popularity, as it is been handled as safer Zoom alternative.

Advantages: The app is free, encrypted, and open-source. 

Disadvantages: There is a maximum number of users for video calls, which is limited to 75 participants per chat. 

Another feasible alternative to Zoom is Google Hangouts. For users with a Gmail Account, this is an easy option for making video calls. 

Advantages: The app is free and access is very easy (for Gmail users). Up to 150 participants are allowed in a chat, for video calls the participant limit is of 25 persons. 

Disadvantages: Google gains even more of your personal data; a Gmail account is required to use the Google Hangouts app. 

This platform is encrypted and widely considered to be the most secure option on the market. Thus, it is increasingly going mainstream. 

Advantages: The fact that this tool is encrypted and that the download is free. The messaging app allows for large group chats. 

Disadvantages: The app does not support video calls, but is useful for one-on-one video chats with a strong and secure connection. 

This video conferencing provider has been founded in the UK in 2008. It´s popularity is rising as it is selling itself as a more secure alternative for Zoom. 

Advantages: The provider is based in the UK and therefore subject to local data privacy laws there; users can choose where they want their data to be stored. 

Disadvantages: The app´s target group are large organizations, rather than individual consumers. Therefore, it is more suitable for business meetings than private reunions. 

Apple products come with this built-in video call option, which is also great for group video chats. 

Advantages: The strong encryption practices Apple is known for, and therefore good ratings in terms of security, as well as the fact that the app is free for Apple users and does not require a download. 

Disadvantages: The limit of users – 32 at a time – and that it is only available for owners of Apple devices. 

Rumours about a security breach for this app that has been launched in 2016 have been dismantled – the platform claims that they were part of a defamation attack by a rival. 

Advantages: Using this app is great fun, as there are various games included, such as trivia and drawing challenges. 

Disadvantages: If you forget to “lock” the room where your meeting takes place, any of your contacts can show up unannounced. Also, a big amount of information is being collected by the app, and privacy policies are questionable.