Revised April 18th, 2024
“Zoombombing” is the unwanted, disruptive intrusion, generally by Internet trolls, into a video-conference call. In a typical Zoombombing incident, a teleconferencing session is hijacked by the insertion of material that is lewd, obscene, or racist in nature.
Source: Wikipedia
At the Feb. 26, 2024 Shorewood Council meeting (content has been removed starting at 11:40) Shorewood, like many other local government institutions, has fallen victim to “Zoom-bombing,” The Zoom-bomb incident occurred during Matters from the Floor. Persons could clearly be heard spewing anti-Semitic messages. The incident lasted about 45 seconds.
The staff was able to shut down the perpetrators. The mayor apologized letting the audience know these were not Shorewood residents and that Shorewood has now joined an ever growing group of victim communities. In many cases with other cities, this has led to the session being shut down.
Despite these incidents, it’s crucial not to use them as a reason to eliminate online participation in meetings.
- Per the Zoom website, with proper planning, Zoom-bombing can be prevented.
- All organizations that hold public meetings online, especially those like the City of Shorewood, should implement security measures.
- Security measures should be made known to the public well in advance. This ensures residents understand any additional steps required to join the meeting securely.
Providing online meeting opportunities enhances transparency and public participation in government affairs.
- Elected officials should prioritize maintaining these public participation opportunities.
- Participants should be prepared to play their part in preventing internet trolls from disrupting public forums, such as “Matters from the Floor.”
