SUMMARY
JioMeet’s new security features will let meeting host disallow guests without signing in
This is expected to prevent Zoom-like attacks where anonymous participants would post obscene images on the screen
JioMeet has also introduced a new feature called ‘personal meeting rooms’ for recurring meetings such as school classes
Reliance Jio’s recently launched free video conferencing app JioMeet, on Tuesday (July 7), beefed up its security features to prevent attacks like those faced by Zoom users, where hackers would post obscene images on the screen.
The host can disallow guests from joining a meeting without signing in or disclosing their identity.
The app, which allows video conferences with up to 100 participants for 24 hours, added the feature, taking cognisance of the reports which had emerged about participants sharing obscene images on the screen during an online class.
In its first week since going live, JioMeet has introduced six new features which, according to sources, would prevent hackers from entering a meeting. These include personal meeting rooms with the ability to set one’s own meeting password to facilitate recurring meetings such as school classes and daily meetings. Further, users will now be able to enlarge and pin another participant by double-clicking their window. The new features have been rolled out for Android users and will be soon available to iOS users as well.
Additionally, JioMeet has also unveiled single-use sign-on for enterprise users. Company employees can now use their existing user-ID and password for attending a virtual meeting.
JioMeet, launched on July 2, has already been downloaded by more than 1 Mn users. The app is expected to challenge the likes of Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meets, among others in the video conferencing space. The app has garnered a lot of attention for the fact that it’s completely free for use, and boasts of an enviable list of features. Its time-limit of 24 hours for a free group video meeting tops that of its competitors in the space since other apps like Google Meets and Zoom only allow a free video call for 60 and 40 minutes respectively.
Initially ridiculed for having ‘copy-pasted’ Zoom with its near-identical user-interface and layout, reports have since emerged about the possibility of this being a growth hack. An Inc42 report talked about whether JioMeet’s resemblance to Zoom could have been a UI-driven growth hack to make the transition easier for anyone moving from Zoom.
