Virtual background: it is about the basic right to privacy!

[RNelladC]

Dear Zoom Team,

I've been an online tutor since pre-pandemic and have recently stopped using Zoom for one reason:  lack of privacy, because the virtual background feature requires specific hardware, https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360043484511-Zoom-Virtual-Background-system-requirements  ... This is not acceptable!

During the pandemic, my students were sharing mobile phones, tablets and laptops that were available to them. And since they often sat at a table in their own private space, be it their bedroom, the living room, or on the floor in a quiet area of their home, they couldn't have a virtual background for privacy (I have to use a physical screen behind me when using Zoom).

Skype and Jitsi recognised that people didn't want their private space to be seen with the introduction of a choice of virtual backgrounds (blurring too), without the need of specific types of motherboards or graphics cards. I thought that was very thoughtful and considerate. Students (and educators too) need some basic privacy when learning (teaching) online. It is not too much to ask!

A virtual background would also benefit a whole host of organisations, where the participants to a meeting don't want to feel intruded upon in their private space, particularly in meetings where people don't know each other.
If Skype and Jitsi can provide a virtual background without requiring specific types of motherboards or graphics cards, surely Zoom can do the same.

I will not be using Zoom for my lessons and will not renew my membership till this issue has been addressed.

[ChrisO]

Hi, RNelladC.

Thanks for the suggestion! The Zoom Community is not a place where feature requests are tracked, so I highly encourage you to submit this idea within the feedback form: https://zoom.us/feed.