Zoom acquires Keybase as it seeks to enhance video platform privacy

Video communications platform Zoom has announced the acquisition of Keybase as it seeks to enhance the state of privacy and security in its offerings.

The goal is to provide end-to-end encryption on the platform, according to a Thursday press statement. The terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. Zoom had attracted critics for its security practices even as the platform's user base exploded in an era of social distancing and stay-at-home orders enacted worldwide.

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"There are end-to-end encrypted communications platforms. There are communications platforms with easily deployable security. There are enterprise-scale communications platforms. We believe that no current platform offers all of these. This is what Zoom plans to build, giving our users security, ease of use, and scale, all at once," Eric Yuan, Zoom's CEO, said in a statement.

"The first step is getting the right team together. Keybase brings deep encryption and security expertise to Zoom, and we're thrilled to welcome Max and his team. Bringing on a cohesive group of security engineers like this significantly advances our 90-day plan to enhance our security efforts," he added. 

Keybase previously had provided its services around the crypto space, and in 2018 it netted an investment from Stellar, as CoinDesk reported at the time. A subsequent XLM airdrop effort on Keybase aimed at bringing in new users to both platforms drew the attention of more than a few token-seeking spammers.