Interrupted transmission- zooming in on video conferencing privacy policies

The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced many people to work from home. Video conferencing tools and other remote means of communication make this possible, transforming our homes into our offices. They also help keep us connected with friends and family, regardless of where they are. Video conferencing tools literally open a lens into our homes. The personal and professional spheres are increasingly merging. We phone with our parents and children, discuss business strategy with our colleagues, and perhaps relax with our yoga teacher after work, following her flow in front of our screen. While we appreciate how video conferencing tool providers facilitate all this, the intimacy they permit calls for an equally intimate look into their compliance with EU data protection law. We zoomed in on the privacy policies of six tools: Zoom, Webex Meetings (Cisco), Meeting (LogMeIn), Skype and Teams (both Microsoft), and Wire. While the video quality of the investigated tools may often b