It is without a doubt that the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in a spike in video conferencing, with many turning to popular teleconferencing apps like Zoom and Skype to do so. Now, Google has announced that it will also be joining in the fray of free-to-use video conferencing by making their premium Google Meet free for anyone who wants to use it.
Previously, Google Meet was only free to paid G Suite accounts. Now anyone will be able to host a video call on Google Meet as long as you have a Google account. A move that Google states will provide users with a safer platform to hold their video calls from.
Google has stated in a blog post that Meet’s security features are “designed, built and operated to be secure at scale.”
Some key features of Meet include not allowing anonymous users to enter video calls, as well as the ability to admit or deny entry into a video call, and to mute or kick participants when necessary. Meeting codes will also be “complex by default and therefore resilient to brute-force guessing.”
These all seem to be in response to Zoom’s security issues and “Zoombombings” which saw anonymous pranksters popping into Zoom video calls with clips of graphic porn or Nazi memorabilia.
Those using Google Meet will be able to enjoy the new features Google recently rolled out, including an improved tile view and AI noise cancelling.
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
Si Jia
Trinity Sun
