Key Takeaways
- Zoom compliance is more than meetings. Full Zoom compliance means capturing every Zoom modality: Meetings, Zoom Phone, Team Chat, Whiteboards, screen sharing, and AI content.
- Zoom AI is a communications record. AI-generated content such as meeting summaries must be captured and governed alongside human communications.
- Zoom Compliance Manager (ZCM) is Zoom’s native compliance solution. It captures, archives, searches, and flags risk across Zoom Workplace. ZCM Plus adds threaded conversation replay, document activity tracking, attachment oversight, and communication pattern analysis.
- Theta Lake powers both tiers. ZCM and ZCM Plus are built on Theta Lake’s risk and compliance technology.
- Firms don’t have to disable features to stay compliant. With complete capture and AI-driven supervision, firms can keep screen sharing, chat, and AI turned on.
What is Zoom communications compliance?
Zoom communications compliance is the practice of capturing, archiving, and supervising all business communications that happen in Zoom so an organization meets its regulatory recordkeeping and data protection obligations.
It falls under a broader discipline called Digital Communications Governance and Archiving (DCGA). DCGA covers the processes, policies, and technologies used to capture, archive, and supervise digital communications.
As hybrid work continues, organizations rely on Zoom Workplace for Meetings, Phone, Whiteboards, and Zoom AI. That rapid adoption brings compliance and security challenges that firms need to manage to meet regulations, protect sensitive data, and avoid fines.
What are the biggest Zoom compliance challenges?
The four biggest challenges are changing regulations, multi-modal communications, data volume, and balancing productivity with compliance.
- Navigating Constantly Changing Regulations
Regulatory bodies worldwide continue to refine and expand compliance requirements, impacting how organizations capture, store, and manage communication data. From financial services regulations like SEC Rule 17a-4 and MiFID II to healthcare’s HIPAA mandates and education’s FERPA guidelines, compliance standards are becoming more stringent. Keeping up with these evolving security requirements demands agility and comprehensive security measures.
- Managing Multi-Modal Communications and Off-Channel Risks
Zoom’s extensive capabilities—including virtual meetings, Zoom Phone calls, Zoom AI, screen sharing, whiteboarding, and more—introduce new complexities for compliance teams. Capturing, archiving, and supervising these diverse communication formats are essential to mitigating noncompliance risks and ensuring that all interactions comply with industry regulations.
- Data Storage and Volume Management
As communication data grows exponentially, organizations face challenges in storing, managing, and securing large volumes of information. Legacy archives often hinder seamless data access and scalability, limiting the ability to leverage Zoom’s advanced collaboration tools effectively. Balancing data retention policies with storage optimization is critical for maintaining security controls.
- Balancing Productivity with Compliance
Compliance strategies must support, not hinder, workplace productivity. Disabling essential features like screen sharing, in-meeting chat, or Zoom AI due to compliance concerns negatively impacts user experience. Organizations must implement security features and privacy settings that enable collaboration without exposing the business to regulatory risks.
Which regulations apply to Zoom communications?
The rules that apply depend on your industry:
- Financial services firms are required to comply with regulations such as SEC Rule 17a-4, MiFID II, FINRA, and CFTC, which mandate the use of a recording feature and the retention of voice, video, and chat communications to ensure transparency and accountability.
- Healthcare organizations must adhere to HIPAA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regulations, which enforce strict security measures for protecting patient data shared during telemedicine sessions and virtual meetings.
- Educational institutions are obligated to follow FERPA guidelines to safeguard student communications and are also subject to financial services regulations like SEC Rule 17a-4 and FINRA when managing endowments and pension funds, requiring secure and accurate recordkeeping.
- State and local government agencies must meet the requirements of FOIA and various state-specific records retention laws by implementing comprehensive archiving and efficient search capabilities for all communication data.
Regulators are also paying closer attention to newer modalities, including AI and virtual events. Controls need to cover every channel, not only video meetings.
What is Zoom Compliance Manager (ZCM)?
Zoom Compliance Manager (ZCM) offers foundational compliance capabilities designed to help organizations meet industry regulations. With ZCM, businesses can securely capture and archive both AI-generated and human communications across Zoom Workplace, including Meetings, Team Chat, Whiteboards, and Zoom AI content. ZCM supports flexible storage options, allowing organizations to archive data in their preferred storage systems while maintaining compliance with detailed reconciliation reports.
Its core features are:
- Comprehensive Capture – Seamlessly captures video, voice, chat, whiteboard content, and AI-generated data.
- Secure Archiving – Stores communications in compliance with industry regulations, with support for third-party or native storage.
- Search and eDiscovery – Enables efficient search and retrieval of archived communications for audits, legal holds, and investigations.
- AI-Powered Risk Detection – Identifies potential compliance risks with automated workflows for streamlined review and supervision.
ZCM Plus builds upon these core features by providing enhanced compliance capabilities for organizations with more complex needs. It delivers deeper insights into communication data and improves oversight with advanced tracking and analysis tools.
Additional ZCM Plus capabilities include:
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Threaded Conversations – Consolidates conversation replay across multiple modalities (chat, meetings, file sharing) into a single, searchable timeline for better context.
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Document Activity Tracking – Traces where, when, and with whom documents have been shared across communication channels.
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Attachment Oversight – Flags and reviews attachments within conversations to prevent data leakage and security risks.
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Communication Pattern Analysis – Uncovers communication trends and relationships to identify potential compliance or security concerns.
What’s the difference between ZCM and ZCM Plus?
ZCM provides the foundational compliance capabilities. ZCM Plus adds deeper context and oversight for organizations with more complex needs.
| Capability | ZCM | ZCM Plus |
| Capture of video, voice, chat, whiteboards, and AI content | ✓ | ✓ |
| Secure archiving (native or third-party storage) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search and eDiscovery | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI-powered risk detection | ✓ | ✓ |
| Threaded conversation replay across modalities | — | ✓ |
| Document activity tracking | — | ✓ |
| Attachment oversight | — | ✓ |
| Communication pattern analysis | — | ✓ |
The robust DCGA compliance capabilities of ZCM and ZCM Plus are powered by Theta Lake’s award-winning risk and compliance technology, enabling organizations to meet regulatory requirements while maintaining secure and seamless collaboration within Zoom.
What are the best practices for Zoom compliance?
- Capture All Communication Modalities
Ensure complete capture of voice, video, chat, screen sharing, whiteboarding, and Zoom AI outputs. This holistic approach prevents compliance gaps across virtual meetings and video conferences.
- Implement AI-Driven Risk Detection and Automation
Automated security controls can proactively identify compliance risks, enabling timely remediation. AI-driven tools help organizations proactively manage compliance, along with the growing volume of communication data.
- Optimize Data Storage and Archiving Strategies
Adopt scalable, secure storage solutions that align with regulatory requirements. Combining secure data storage with flexible retention policies ensures that compliance needs are met without compromising performance.
- Maintain Productivity While Mitigating Risks
Empower employees to collaborate using all Zoom features—screen sharing, in-meeting chat, and virtual events—by implementing strong security features and privacy settings. This balance fosters innovation while protecting against compliance risks.
- Prepare for Evolving Compliance Needs
Stay ahead of emerging regulations and evolving communication trends by adopting flexible compliance solutions that scale with organizational growth. Regular audits and updates to security measures ensure ongoing compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Zoom AI content be archived for compliance?
Yes. Zoom Compliance Manager captures and archives Zoom AI alongside human communications across Zoom Workplace.
What is the difference between ZCM and ZCM Plus?
ZCM provides capture, archiving, search, and AI-powered risk detection. ZCM Plus adds threaded conversation replay, document activity tracking, attachment oversight, and communication pattern analysis.
Can I store Zoom compliance data in my own archive?
Yes. ZCM supports flexible storage, so organizations can archive in their preferred system, with reconciliation reports to confirm the data arrived.
Who powers Zoom Compliance Manager?
ZCM and ZCM Plus are powered by Theta Lake’s risk and compliance technology.
Conclusion
Zoom Workplace’s channels make collaboration easier, but they also create new compliance obligations for regulated organizations. By understanding which regulations apply, capturing every modality, and using solutions like ZCM and ZCM Plus, powered by Theta Lake, organizations can use all of Zoom’s features while staying compliant.
