NYC Department of Education Reverses Zoom Ban

Zoom worked with the department of education to address the safety issues associated with the platform.

NYC Department of Education Reverses Zoom Ban

New York — New York City teachers will once again be allowed to use Zoom to connect with their students for remote learning. That’s according to a statement released by the New York City Department of Education on Wednesday, which announced the reversal of the department’s previous ban of the platform.

In early April, the department told teachers to stop using Zoom after it received several reports of security breaches related to the videoconferencing app. At around the same time, the FBI also issued a warning that online classrooms and teleconferencing apps were being hijacked (also called “zoombombing”).

However, in late April, Zoom added new security features. Additionally, the company has been working with the department of education (DOE) to address the safety issues associated with the platform.

“We are pleased to announce that now, following several weeks of collaboration with the company, we are now able to offer Zoom as a safe, secure platform for use across the DOE,” said NYC Department of Education Chancellor Richard A. Carranza in a statement.

Zoom and DOE reached an agreement about data encryption and storage. Settings have also been created so that only DOE participants and specifically invited guests can enter classrooms or meetings. Additionally, meeting hosts will now have more control over their classrooms and meetings.

This means that:

  • All staff and students must use the new DOE central account to access Zoom
  • All DOE students and staff will be able to sign onto nycdoe.zoom.us with their DOE email and password, and will be able to use the full complement of features Zoom offers
  • The central DOE account has been pre-arranged to ensure safety and security of all participants, which protects all members of the city’s communities
  • There is no cost for schools, teachers or service providers (for use of Zoom, as well as previously approved platforms like Microsoft and Google)
  • The department will add Zoom to all DOE-issued iPads

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

About the Author

robin hattersley headshot
Contact:

Robin has been covering the security and campus law enforcement industries since 1998 and is a specialist in school, university and hospital security, public safety and emergency management, as well as emerging technologies and systems integration. She joined CS in 2005 and has authored award-winning editorial on campus law enforcement and security funding, officer recruitment and retention, access control, IP video, network integration, event management, crime trends, the Clery Act, Title IX compliance, sexual assault, dating abuse, emergency communications, incident management software and more. Robin has been featured on national and local media outlets and was formerly associate editor for the trade publication Security Sales & Integration. She obtained her undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Long Beach.

Leading in Turbulent Times: Effective Campus Public Safety Leadership for the 21st Century

This new webcast will discuss how campus public safety leaders can effectively incorporate Clery Act, Title IX, customer service, “helicopter” parents, emergency notification, town-gown relationships, brand management, Greek Life, student recruitment, faculty, and more into their roles and develop the necessary skills to successfully lead their departments. Register today to attend this free webcast!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Our Newsletters
Campus Safety Conference promo