'Zoom bombings' disrupt Iowa Senate meetings with profanity, pornography and racial slurs
In the first few minutes of a meeting about restructuring Iowa's state government, a Zoom user took over the television monitor and showed a sexually explicit video. Garbled racial slurs blared from the monitor's speaker.
Senate staffers scrambled to shut down the video meeting. A lobbyist held her file folder over the screen.
"Just turn it off," said subcommittee chair Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig. "Just hit the 'leave meeting.'"
It was one of several Zoom bombings to hit Iowa Senate subcommittees this session, as internet trolls have interrupted meetings with pornography and racist language and images.
On Monday, Schultz said the Senate has taken "all the precautions that we could think of" to prevent future interruptions. But he suggested Zoom access may be sacrificed if issues continue.
"But there does come a time where, if we have done everything within our power to maintain the decorum and respectfulness of subcommittees, and yet the forces of evil find a way around it, I'm afraid there is a chance we may have to end Zoom," he said.
Senate Republican spokesperson Caleb Hunter confirmed the Senate has implemented new protocols, starting Monday, to protect against intrusions. He wouldn't say what they were, citing security concerns.
"Permitting access to the lawmaking process through this feature has been well received and improved transparency," Hunter said over email. "Incidents of this type must stop.”
How the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in Zoom public meetings
The Iowa Senate began broadcasting its meetings on Zoom in 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls said Zoom access makes lawmaking more accessible to Iowans and remote meetings should continue, despite the incidents.
“We believe that online meeting services offer the security features and functionality needed to guard against Zoom bombing and inappropriate content," Wahls said in a statement. "Iowans have the right to participate in the decisions of their state government — we must protect that right."
Ways to stop Zoom bombing
Zoom bombing was prevalent in 2020, as meetings first transitioned to virtual settings. Intruders would click onto a Zoom link to broadcast shocking content, halting progress in remote meetings.
Now, three years later, the practice is less common. Zoom introduced a "waiting room" feature so the host of the meeting has to invite in all the participants — and may reject any that seem suspicious. But that still presents challenges for public meetings in the Senate, where unknown Iowans might call in to offer comments on a bill.
The Washington Post recommends Zoom users refrain from posting links to their meetings on social media to limit unwanted intruders.
Katie Akin is a politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at kakin@registermedia.com or at 410-340-3440. Follow her on Twitter at @katie_akin.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Senate promises action against Zoom bombing during Legislature
