Jitsi Meet
Review date: 04/23/2020
Jitsi Meet is a free, open-source, video call app that doesn't require you to create an account to use it. The privacy conscious folks at the Tor Project recently recommended Jitsi Meet as a good alternative to Zoom. Jitsi Meet works on desktop, Android and iOS devices, has pretty high-quality video and audio, allows for password protected video calls, and has no limit on participants (although your internet bandwidth might set your limits for you). And for those more techie folks out there, because Jitsi Meet is open-source, people with the interest and ability can install and run their own version of Jitsi Meet on their own servers. (Note: The review below is for the public version of Jitsi Meet. People who install and run their own versions of Jitsi Meet might not meet all these criteria).
What could happen if something goes wrong
Jitsi Meet and the open-source community behind it appear to value and prioritize privacy and security as part of their mission in making this product. As with all things on the internet, it's good to be careful. Some internet security experts caution using Jitsi Meet because it doesn't yet provide end-to-end encryption. And you don't want to accidentally livestream that drunken hangout with your friends where you all end up playing strip poker publicly. Do you?
Privacy
What is required to sign up?
No
Phone
No
Third party account
No
Jitsi does not require any sign up to join or host a meeting
What data does it collect?
Personal
Biometric
Social
How does it use this data?
How are your recordings handled?
Alerts when calls are being recorded?
Jitsi alerts meeting attendees when a call is being recorded.
Does the platform say it is compliant with US medical privacy laws?
Jitsi has not gone through a formal audit to confirm HIPAA compliance
Links to privacy information
Can I control it?
Host controls
Is it easy to learn and use the features?
We say yes to this when really the answer should be kinda. We had a hard time finding easy to use instructions and tutorials. But Jitsi does have a community set up where you can go and ask questions and a blog where you can find some tutorials. Jitisi seems to lean more toward developers than average users at times with their documentation, so you might have to dig a little to find what you're looking for.
Security
Does this product meet our Minimum Security Standards?
Encryption
Jitsi uses encryption, although it is unable at this time to use end-to-end encryption.
Strong password
Video meetings can be password protected
Security updates
Jitsi sends updates to its mobile app 6-10 times a year.
Manages vulnerabilities
Jitsi doesn't have an official bug bounty program, but there is a way for people to report security vulnerabilities.
Privacy policy
https://jitsi.org/meet-jit-si-privacy/
