Zoombombing
The act of an uninvited person disrupting a video call, often by displaying offensive images or language, by exploiting weak meeting security.
Explanation
Zoombombing blends the platform name Zoom with photobombing and describes trolls or hackers hijacking video meetings, most often by guessing or sharing unprotected meeting links, to broadcast pornographic, hateful, or otherwise disruptive content. The term spread in mid-March 2020 as videoconferencing use exploded during COVID-19 lockdowns, and the US FBI issued a public warning about the practice in early April 2020 after receiving multiple reports of hijacked school and business calls. It pointed marketers and event organizers to a basic security need, waiting rooms, passwords, and controlled screen-sharing, for any brand webinar, town hall, or virtual event that used public or easily shared join links.
Usage context / examples
A company hosting a public webinar enables a waiting room and disables screen-sharing for attendees specifically to prevent zoombombing.
Related terms
Zoom fatigue, video conferencing security, trolling
Turkish definition
Zoombombing, davetsiz bir kişinin zayıf toplantı güvenliğinden yararlanarak bir görüntülü görüşmeyi, genellikle rahatsız edici görüntü veya söylemlerle, kesintiye uğratmasıdır.