Google Meet looks to match Zoom with key security feature

Google’s transfer to lock down the safety of conferences held on its Google Meet videoconferencing software — with the deliberate introduction of end-to-end encryption this 12 months — might make the collaboration app a stronger possibility for purchasers in regulated industries.

The announcement that Google plans to roll out elective end-to-end encryption for all conferences, sooner or later in 2022, might additionally make the videoconferencing app extra aggressive with Zoom, which already provides the safety characteristic for all conferences. And Google Meet might probably leapfrog Microsoft Groups, as effectively. Microsoft already provides end-to-end encryption for one-on-one calls on Groups, however has not introduced when the characteristic is likely to be arriving for group conferences.

In feedback supplied to VentureBeat by e-mail on Friday, Google mentioned that end-to-end encryption “is designed for conferences that require heightened confidentiality, usually these occurring in regulated industries with extra strict safety necessities.”

The transfer would additionally appear positioned to make Google Meet a more-appealing possibility for presidency prospects — a phase of the market the place Google, yesterday, signaled that it’s trying to compete extra aggressively with Microsoft.

Google didn’t specify when in 2022 end-to-end encryption could also be coming to all conferences, saying solely that it is going to be “later this 12 months.”

Part of the Google Workspace suite of productiveness apps, Google Meet provides video conferences with as much as 500 members, screen-sharing and live-streaming for companies to as much as 100,000 viewers of their area, in response to Google. The corporate has not lately disclosed the dimensions of its person base for Google Meet, however in April 2020 had reportedly disclosed having greater than 100 million “day by day Meet assembly members.”

Current encryption

By default, all information in Google Meet is already encrypted in transit between the shopper and Google, the corporate says. Google Meet recordings information that’s saved in Google Drive can be encrypted by default, in response to Google.

Google Meet provides “superior safety and privateness controls, together with encryption in transit, proactive counter-abuse measures and moderation controls to maintain conferences secure,” the corporate mentioned in its feedback to VentureBeat.

Google additionally pointed to inner privateness opinions, together with impartial verifications and certifications, as different key indications of its give attention to safety and privateness. Customers can “have faith within the many layers now we have in place to guard their privateness,” the corporate mentioned.

Earlier than end-to-end encryption arrives, Google Meet will subsequent be getting elective client-side-encryption, which is at present in beta. The characteristic offers prospects with “direct management” of the required encryption keys, in addition to the identification supplier leveraged to entry the keys, in response to Google.

In Could, client-side-encryption will transfer into normal availability for Google Meet prospects (Enterprise Plus, Enterprise Plus and Training Plus prospects).

For end-to-end encryption, the characteristic goes even additional by guaranteeing that no middleman between members — not even a service supplier or Google itself — can decrypt and skim any of the assembly information.

Zoom first introduced end-to-end encryption for all conferences in October 2020. Microsoft, in the meantime, launched end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for one-on-one calls in December 2021.

“Initially E2EE will likely be out there just for one-on-one Groups calls,” Microsoft mentioned in a doc posted on its assist website. “After gathering buyer suggestions to know how the characteristic addresses their compliance wants and obligations, we’ll work to carry E2EE capabilities to on-line conferences.”