Safety in Zoom Meetings

Safety and Security during Zoom Meetings

Recently several members have felt unsafe in meetings, so please review the following:

  • Safety in AA meetings is of utmost importance. Keeping the focus on our primary purpose, no member should solicit personal information from someone they do not know, unless it directly concerns AA. Any other reason is inappropriate.
  • It is strongly suggested that any member approached in a predatory manner screen shot the inappropriate messages. These can be emailed to one’s sponsor, a trusted AA member, the meeting chair, or aacharlottesville@gmail.com
  • Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our traditions. Anonymity also Includes any member who is hospitalized or has died. The final decision to disclose a person’s membership rests solely with the individual or with the family in case the member has died.
  • The only requirement for AA membership is a desire to stop drinking. All members are to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of gender identification, race, or color. AA unity relies upon behaviors founded on common sense, and the timeless values of kindness, tolerance, and love.

Before the meeting, take these steps —

  1. Ensure that the meeting has a host and co-host. The host enables a co-host in the online meeting window.
  2. If someone other than a homegroup member sets up the meeting, ensure that the person joins the meeting as a host, sets up a host by sharing log-in information, or claims host in the participant window using the host’s six-digit host key.
  3. The host (once in the meeting) can use the Zoom Security icon to create a “Waiting Room.” This can also be done in advance by editing the meeting in the host’s Zoom account on zoom.us.
  4. Disable the “Join before host” feature in the relevant Zoom account. The host or co-host can then allow participants to join the Waiting Room until the meeting begins.
  5. Disable “Allow Removed Participants to Rejoin” in the host’s Zoom account, so booted attendees can’t slip back in.
  6. Practice locking the meeting using the Zoom Security icon.
  7. Practice hovering over user icons to eject them them from the meeting or to mute them, and
  8. Practice muting and unmuting all participants.

During the meeting take these steps —

  1. Lock the meeting 5 minutes after the posted start time using the Zoom Security icon, so no one is allowed to enter the meeting. Participants will learn this quickly and begin arriving on-time. Participants who leave will not be able to rejoin the meeting.
  2. Disable chat during the meeting using the Zoom Security icon, but enable at the very end.
  3. It is suggested that participants turn on their video, unless they have dialed in from a 434 or 540 number. Alternatively, they can post a profile picture in their Zoom account that local AA members will recognize.
  4. Change screen sharing to “Host Only.”

If trolls or hackers show up in the meeting —

  • Ensure the meeting is locked.
  • Check the participant list to see who is creating havoc or shouting obscenities. Eject them.

Avoid posting about these Zoom meetings on social media, because it creates another attack vector for Internet trolls and hackers.