Zoom use and security policy

If you are invited to a meeting with us and are unable to use Zoom, please let us know and we can organise an alternative platform. We do not provide an alternative platform for webinars, however we may be able to provide you with recordings and supporting resources.

What is Zoom?

Zoom(this link will open in a new window) is a piece of software that allows us to host online meetings and webinars.

Why do we use Zoom?

There is a wide choice of similar platforms to Zoom. We use it because:

• Its security features are comprehensive and robust. Zoom is working on end-to-end encryption for both paid and free users which should be available in the coming months. However Zoom already uses one of the strongest encryption standards, and its security is comparable, if not superior, to most other video conferencing platforms
• It provides an extremely stable connection in comparison to other software, so meetings are more enjoyable and flow better
• It has lots of useful features to help us have better meetings and webinars

What is the difference between a meeting and a webinar on Zoom?

Meetings are generally more suitable for discussions between small groups of people. Webinars are for presentations and training being delivered to larger groups. Here are the main differences:

• In a meeting, all participants can speak and broadcast their video. In a webinar, only the host and selected panellists can broadcast their video, and you can only speak if the webinar host allows you to
• In a webinar, attendees cannot see the names of other attendees. However, in a meeting participants can choose to anonymise themselves by setting their name as ‘anon’ before a meeting starts. In a meeting, you can also choose not to share your video and/or microphone

How do we keep our meetings and webinars safe and secure?

From September 2020, all meetings will be required to use passcodes or waiting rooms.

• Waiting room: attendees are put into a holding area and we are able to authorise or block their entry to the session. We may contact you to verify your identity if we’re unsure
• Password protection: we set a password for participants to access our meetings and webinars

In addition to this, if you attend a meeting or webinar with us, you will find some or all of the following security settings in place:

• Locking: we lock our meetings and webinars after they start
• Mute and video off on entry: when you join one of our meetings, your video and audio is switched off. You can choose whether or not to enable it
• Recording is off by default: unless specified, our meetings are not recorded. Where there is a legitimate reason for recording a session, we will seek your permission for this beforehand. Webinars may be recorded and posted on our website
• Registration: for public webinars we ask attendees to register and answer a number of questions to establish their eligibility to attend
• Disabling file transfer and private chat: we may disable the sending of files and private message

For more information read Zoom’s privacy policy(this link will open in a new window) and Scottish Book Trust’s privacy policy.

Keeping our meetings safe and secure

• Don’t make meeting and webinar links public: please do not post links to our sessions or meetings IDs on social media and other public platforms
• Join our sessions from your web browser rather than installing the Zoom software: when you join a meeting, you’ll have an option to join from your browser, rather than downloading any software
• Keep your Zoom software up to date: Zoom is continuing to improve the security of their platform. Therefore if you do download the software, it’s important to install any available updates as soon as you’re notified of them

How do we make our Zoom meetings accessible?

We know accessibility needs will vary and we are actively working on improving the accessibility of our digital events, both live and recorded. If you require additional support for accessing or viewing our events please let us know. Alternatively, if you have had a good experience with a tool that improves accessibility and would like to recommend it to us, please get in touch with us at digital@scottishbooktrust.com(this link will open in a new window)