China blocks US video-conferencing tool Zoom

Video-conferencing service Zoom was blocked in China starting Monday morning, joining a list of inaccessible internet services in the country.

Why it matters: Against a backdrop of increasingly restrictive internet in China, the ban of US-based Zoom comes as the countries continue a protracted battle over technology and trade.

Domestic apps with video conferencing and productivity features are on the rise, including Alibaba’s DingTalk and Tencent’s WeChat Work.
In the lead-up to China’s 70th anniversary in October, retaining social and economic stability is a high priority for Beijing.

Details: Mainland Chinese users first began complaining that Zoom was no longer available from within the country starting Sunday.

Attempts to access the app in China resulted in connection problems.
Zoom confirmed the problem, adding that it was still investigating the issue.
Zoom engineers identified the issue was caused by corrupting local DNS, referring to a common method of blocking websites in China.

Context: Zoom raised $751 million in its initial public offering on Nasdaq in April.

The company recorded total revenue of $145.8 million for the quarter ended July 31, a 96% year-over-year increase over the same period a year earlier.
Security expert Jonathan Leitschuh publicized in July a vulnerability that could affect the four million Zoom users who use Macs.
Founder Eric Yuan was born in China and is widely admired in China as a role model for entrepreneurs.

source technode

Industry: Unified Communications