FBI warns of possible exposure to child pornography on Zoom

FILE – Small toy figures are seen in front of displayed Zoom logo in this illustration taken March 19, 2020. (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:08 AM PT — Thursday, May 21, 2020

As virtual classes and meetings become increasingly popular under lockdown orders, the FBI is warning users of possible exposure to illegal pornographic material.

On Wednesday, the bureau said they have received more than 195 reports of child sexual abuse material on the video conferencing platform Zoom over the last few months.

One such incident occurred during an online orientation for Medway Middle School in Massachusetts when a hacker displayed graphic content featuring children to more than 150 students and their parents.

“I think it’s awful. I mean, I have a nine year old and I don’t need him seeing that on his class calls. It’s the only way they can really stay together and communicate, so it’s a shame.”

— Beverly Greenfield, parent of Medway Middle School student

Is your business or school using Zoom to conduct virtual meetings? The FBI warns that criminals might try to join your video chats to post child sexual abuse material. https://t.co/uyD7j1H3JO pic.twitter.com/T4Ng04QBsi

— FBI (@FBI) May 20, 2020

The FBI advises that all viewing of sexual material containing children is illegal and to contact the agency immediately after encountering any such content.

In response, Zoom officials announced they are working on enhanced security measures to prevent calls from being hijacked.

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