Zoombombing Incident Update ♥ ★ ✚
Dear Campus Community,
UCI again experienced an incident of Zoombombing yesterday during a public lecture event. Zoombombing describes an individual or a group of individuals misusing Zoom features to interrupt a meeting or class, often with criminal, vulgar, or inappropriate images or chat messages.
These incidents are unacceptable at UCI. If you experience Zoombombing, please report it to techprep@uci.edu. Yesterday’s event was suspended immediately, and the recording was turned over to law enforcement for criminal investigation.
As COVID-19 pushes classes to remote learning environments, incidents of Zoombombing have occurred across the country. Usually, the perpetrators are seeking to spread hate and intimidate targeted communities.
It is important to note that UCI has procedures in place to secure remote meetings, and everyone is encouraged to use them. Moreover, the campus acts to prevent and remedy the disruption of presenters, speakers, instruction and other university activities. Please see UCI’s guidance for the disruption of university activities for more detailed information.
I encourage you to visit UCI’s interdisciplinary virtual workshop, Racial Violence and Restorative Engagement in a Time of Pandemic, as a resource to explore divisive issues amplified in a pandemic environment and how we can be responsive in ways that promote collaboration and understanding.
Douglas M. Haynes (Preferred Pronouns: he/him/his)
Chief Diversity Officer
Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Professor of History