How Zoom Rose To The Top During Social Distancing

Zoom has gained an incredible amount of popularity, but that popularity comes at a cost. The company is under intense scrutiny now that hundreds of millions of people are using the platform. But Zoom is in the game for the long haul, if it can survive a post-COVID-19 world, and can continue to fix privacy complaints as they come up.

With millions of people being forced to stay home to help stop the spread of COVID-19, many have found creative ways to virtually stay social through happy hours, trivia nights and birthday parties. And Zoom, one of the dozens of video conferencing services, has risen to the top, thanks to intense separation measures and a profound resonance within this new social distancing culture.

Daily downloads of the Zoom app have increased 30x year-over-year and the app has been the top free app for iPhones in the United States since March 18, according to Bernstein Research and Apptopia. Zoom said daily users spiked to 200 million in March, up from 10 million in December.

But it hasn't been without scrutiny. Privacy concerns have been rising around Zoom, including "Zoombombing," where a malicious user will join a Zoom meeting and show explicit or disturbing images. CEO Eric Yuan apologized on Thursday for the security lapses and outlined what the company is doing to fix those problems.

Watch the video to learn how Zoom became the go-to platform, how it is handling the influx of users and whether the company's success can be sustained after offices open back up.