Here's How You Could Be Entitled to Payments From Zoom

Zoom Video Communications recently settled a class-action lawsuit that alleged security and privacy violations by agreeing to pay $85 million despite reportedly denying those allegations. If you are in the United States and have used the Zoom Meetings app before July, you may be entitled to payment from the videoconferencing company.

Users are eligible to file a claim to receive $25—or 15 percent—of the money paid for a Zoom subscription purchased between March 20, 2016, and July 30, 2021, according to the settlement agreement that was reached in July.

Those who haven't paid for this subscription but "registered, used, opened, or downloaded" Zoom during the same period are eligible to file a claim to receive $15.

The settlement agreement received preliminary approval on October 21, according to a court document.

This company settlement excludes those who used Zoom with an "Enterprise-level account" or a government account, according to the class-action document.

Users must submit their claims by March 5 by filling out an online form or by mailing a complete claim form for cash payments.

The amount of money can increase or decrease depending on the number of people who submit claims, according to the class-action settlement website.

Plaintiffs who filed the lawsuit alleged that Zoom shared users' information with third parties and that the company didn't do enough to prevent unwanted meeting disruptions by third parties.

The lawsuit also alleged that Zoom advertised itself as an encrypted "end-to-end" app when it was not at that time, according to the settlement website. The final approval hearing is scheduled for April 7.

"The privacy and security of our users are top priorities for Zoom, and we take seriously the trust our users place in us," a Zoom spokesperson told Newsweek.

The demand for Zoom began to wane from where it was when the pandemic started as more people went back to the office amid ongoing efforts to curb the spread of COVID including mask mandates and mass vaccinations.

The lower demand impacted the company's performance including revenue growth. Zoom's shares fell around 6 percent on November 22, Reuters reported.

Zoom achieved $1.05 billion worth of revenues in the quarter that ended October 31 after it rose 54 percent in the prior quarter and increased 360 percent a year earlier.

The company elevated its offerings to maintain its users by launching its Events platform that allows people to host large conferences. It also launched a Zoom Phone, a cloud-calling service, and Zoom Rooms, an in-office meeting feature.

"We are proud of the advancements we have made to our platform, and look forward to continuing to innovate with privacy and security at the forefront," the Zoom spokesperson said.

Update 12/09/21, 3:25 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from a Zoom spokesperson.