[Trainer-Talk] Zoom Question

Wed Dec 2 18:38:56 UTC 2020

Good afternoon,

I wanted to let folks know what we found out with our trial meeting with Mac OS and Zoom:

Mac OS (latest version) running VoiceOver will announce when a participant enters the waiting room (though this is not indicated visually anywhere in Zoom).  I have contacted Zoom to address this issue.  Many of our staff see this as a privacy concern since this behavior is inconsistent with the expectation of privacy that is held by both the host and individual in the waiting room.  Additionally, the fact that Mac OS allows VoiceOver users access to information that is not accessible to those not running the screen reader (specifically sighted people) is a privacy issue.  The main concern expressed by our staff is that an individual using a Mac with the latest OS and the VoiceOver screen reader can hear the names of individuals entering the waiting room and prompts the user on how to let them in regardless of the fact that they are not the host.

I hope this information is helpful.

Amy

-----Original Message-----
From: Trainer-Talk [mailto:trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of liz.bottner--- via Trainer-Talk
Sent: Wednesday, December 2, 2020 5:21 AM
To: List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>
Cc: liz.bottner at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [Trainer-Talk] Zoom Question

I believe this information is viewable by everyone.

Liz

>

Sent from my iPhone

> On Dec 1, 2020, at 11:21 PM, Snow, Amy L. (IT) via Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

>

> That’s quite interesting. Thank you for the information Brad. Out of curiosity I’m guessing that means that sighted people can see the same information when using the Mac zoom app regardless of privacy settings or is it exclusively a VoiceOver thing?

> Thanks again,

> Amy

> ________________________________

> From: Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:trainer-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org>> on behalf of Brad

> Snyder via Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>>

> Sent: Tuesday, December 1, 2020 7:12 PM

> To: List for teachers and trainers of adaptive technology

> Cc: Brad Snyder

> Subject: Re: [Trainer-Talk] Zoom Question

>

> I regularly use the Zoom app on a Mac with VoiceOver running.

> I can confirm that as a regular participant in a Zoom meeting, VoiceOver announces when participants enter the waiting room and are admitted to the meeting by the host.  These announcements are heard by all participants using a screen reader.

>

> - Brad -

>

>

> On Dec 1, 2020, at 18:39, Snow, Amy L. (IT) via Trainer-Talk <trainer-talk at nfbnet.org<mailto:trainer-talk at nfbnet.org>> wrote:

>

> Good evening all,

>

> I did not experience this firsthand, but I did promise to look into the issue.  I apologize in advance if this is a "no brainer".  I'm kind of stumped, so I thought maybe one of you would be able to help.

>

> One of my colleagues was in a Zoom meeting with a student.  It was an IEP where the principal was the host.  My friend asked the student if she could hear when her parents and other staff entered the meeting.  The student said yes, and she could hear when they were in the waiting room also.  My colleague tested the student by asking her to tell when the next person was in the waiting room and to identify them and the student was able to do so.  We did not think this should be possible, but it happened and we are slightly confused as to why.

>

> Now, the student obviously was not the host and as far as we know, she should not have been able to see who was in the waiting room.  She did not have an account that was verified by our organization, though she may have had a free or paid account of her own.  She was using a Macbook, but we don't know whether Zoom was being used through the web or the app was downloaded.

>

> The principal seemed to think it was something the screen reader was telling her that may not have been available to her if she had not been using it.  My response was that a screen reader would not have access to information that the system didn't permit, so it would be either a bug in the system that allowed her to see this or in some way the meeting settings permitted it.  I'm wondering if any of you have had any similar experiences of a non-host being able to view the waiting room?

>

> Any assistance and advice you can provide is greatly appreciated!

>

> Amy

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