Zoom is currently testing a new program that will display advertisements at the end of free meetings, according to a blog post. Some free Zoom users will be irritated by this, but it’s not as bad as it sounds.
“With this in mind, we are excited to launch a pilot advertising program today that we expect will enable us to support investment while continuing to provide free Basic users with access to our robust platform,” said Zoom’s Chief Marketing Officer Janine Pelosi.
Pelosi described how this program will work for users. “Ads will appear only on the browser page users see after leaving their meeting for the duration of this initial program.” Only free Basic users in specific countries will see these advertisements if they attend meetings hosted by other free Basic users.”
Because the ads are displayed as a banner in a browser window after a meeting, it appears that they are not too intrusive.
They won’t interrupt your meeting or make you wait to begin one, so it appears that Zoom is implementing the ad pilot program in the least intrusive way possible, at least for the time being. If the program fails to perform well, the company may change the way these advertisements are displayed.
“We are incredibly proud to provide a service that helps so many people around the world stay connected,” Pelosi concluded in her blog post. This change ensures that our free Basic users can continue to connect with friends, family, and coworkers using the same robust platform we’ve always provided.”