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Zoom's strategy is to follow local laws as much as possible. For US-based users, they follow US laws. For China-based users, they follow Chinese laws. Internati

Zoom's strategy is to follow local laws as much as possible. For US-based users, they follow US laws. For China-based users, they follow Chinese laws. International calls probably have to be compliant with both countries' laws. You may disagree with Chinese law, and maybe if you were Zoom's CEO you'd cease offering Zoom in China, but then you'd just be ceding the Chinese market to some Chinese videoconferencing solution that would do the exact same odious stuff and possibly use the Chinese market as a springboard to challenge Zoom in other countries. So the net effect would be that the world would be no better off, and Zoom would be worse off. Google was able to lock the NSA out because the NSA didn't have any legal power to intercept traffic between data centers. The Chinese government in contrast has the power to do pretty much whatever it wants with Chinese internet traffic.

jobigoud 6y ago
The argument that if they don't do it another one will do it is constantly used to justify unethical things. It just shows that money is more important than compromising one's values.
- chii 6y ago
  I'm gonna play the devils advocate, and say that money _is_ more important than morals. And it's because americans have a lot of money (collectively) that they can enjoy having high morals. So i don't disagree that zoom is lacking in morals, but i also have to agree with what they did - for it is the only course of action that leads to them "winning" economically.
  - twodave 6y ago
    Not picking a side on Zoom, but the idea that people in poorer countries can’t restrain their impulses to a high degree is preposterous bordering on insulting. The US doesn’t censor based on a moral compass, either. They censor based on an idea of (extremely) basic decency that actually permits a lot of immorality.
  - reaperducer 6y ago
    it's because americans have a lot of money (collectively) that they can enjoy having high morals History disagrees with you. America was founded by people with high morals and no money.
    - chii 6y ago
      > America was founded by people with high morals and no money. so slavery is high morals? There's some rose tinted glasses when looking thru history.
      - anewdirection 6y ago
        Slavery was not insturmental to the founding, nor was it the norm. Go reimagine history wit your personal bias somewhere else.

jobigoud 6y ago

The argument that if they don't do it another one will do it is constantly used to justify unethical things. It just shows that money is more important than compromising one's values.

chii 6y ago
I'm gonna play the devils advocate, and say that money _is_ more important than morals. And it's because americans have a lot of money (collectively) that they can enjoy having high morals. So i don't disagree that zoom is lacking in morals, but i also have to agree with what they did - for it is the only course of action that leads to them "winning" economically.
- twodave 6y ago
  Not picking a side on Zoom, but the idea that people in poorer countries can’t restrain their impulses to a high degree is preposterous bordering on insulting. The US doesn’t censor based on a moral compass, either. They censor based on an idea of (extremely) basic decency that actually permits a lot of immorality.
- reaperducer 6y ago
  it's because americans have a lot of money (collectively) that they can enjoy having high morals History disagrees with you. America was founded by people with high morals and no money.
  - chii 6y ago
    > America was founded by people with high morals and no money. so slavery is high morals? There's some rose tinted glasses when looking thru history.
    - anewdirection 6y ago
      Slavery was not insturmental to the founding, nor was it the norm. Go reimagine history wit your personal bias somewhere else.