Zoom suspends China sales in partial market retraction
Zoom is to stop selling new or upgraded products directly to customers in China, as it transitions towards a partner-only model in the region.
Local Zoom customers were told today that a selection of third-party suppliers will now handle Zoom sales and some operations in China, listing a number of authorised partners that will now act on its behalf.
It comes as Zoom has increasingly distanced itself from operating in China in recent months over the country’s human rights record, though it remains available to use.
In May Zoom said it would be suspending all new free user registrations in China and limiting paid user registrations to only those who sign up via an authorised sales representative.
However a month later the video-conferencing giant was caught in controversy after it was revealed it had terminated the accounts of some Zoom users that were using the platform to commemorate the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre — a tradition that is prohibited in China.
In a blog post, Zoom confirmed it had temporarily shut down the accounts due to request from China’s government. It said that it had later re-instated the terminated accounts, and was exploring “a new process for handling similar situations” in future.
It also joined a litany of tech firms to pause the processing of data requests from authorities in Hong Kong, following the passing of China’s national security law which critics say could impinge on human rights in the region.
Zoom told users today that the changes were would offer “better local support”, coming into effect from 23 August.