Zoom ‘deeply upset’ after online trolls interrupt virtual AA meetings

A spokesperson for Zoom said Tuesday that the company is “deeply upset” with online trolls who joined alcoholism support meetings hosted over the company’s services in recent days without invitation and spammed hurtful messages.

Business Insider reported that several Alcoholics Anonymous groups in the New York area experienced intrusions during meetings from online trolls in recent days, prompting group administrators to take steps to secure their attendee rosters.

Some of the messages urged users to drink, such as one that read: “Alcohol is soooo good,” according to the news outlet.

The company told Business Insider in a statement that the company was “deeply upset to hear about the incidents involving this kind of attack” and encouraged users to directly report similar incidents to Zoom.

The company added that users should use password protection to prevent uninvited guests from joining meetings, according to Business Insider.

“For those hosting large, public group meetings, we strongly encourage hosts to review their settings and confirm that only the host can share their screen. For those hosting private meetings, password protections are on by default and we recommend that users keep those protections on to prevent uninvited users from joining,” a Zoom spokesperson said.

Zoom, a video meeting app often used by companies for remote gatherings, has surged in popularity in recent weeks due to travel and everyday restrictions put in place by officials around the U.S. and elsewhere to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which has infected hundreds of thousands around the world.