(HorizonPost.com) – The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to postpone the pending acquisition of the tech company Five9 by videoconferencing giant Zoom. They expressed the desire to have Team Telecom — an inter-agency committee established by former President Donald Trump and chaired by the Attorney General with the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security as members — review possible national security issues.
Zoom may face delay on key Five9 deal after DOJ review: Analysts #ZoomFive9Deal #Zoom #ZoomApp #ZoomVideoCommunications #JoeBiden #Microsoft #MicrosoftTeams #VideoConferencing #MVASApps https://t.co/8sjNxYEJoP
— ETTelecom (@ETTelecom) September 23, 2021
Concerns over Zoom stem from a connection between a China-based former executive of Zoom named Xinjiang Jin (aka Julien Jin) and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) government. The DOJ has charged him with working with the communist government to monitor and interfere with internet meetings that “were organized and hosted by US-based individuals” in mid-2020 regarding the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. The FBI has him listed on the “most wanted” section of their website.
A blog post on Zoom’s website appears to suggest the company disconnected four meetings at the behest of the Chinese government. Zoom also provided limited user information from attendees based in China. Zoom has since modified its policies in this regard and developed the ability to block specific meeting attendees based on geography.
The fate of the deal is up in the air. According to a Wall Street Journal article, an advisory firm recommended Five9 shareholders vote against the measure, in part because of potential political risks.
Copyright 2021, HorizonPost.com
