Hello Valued Volunteers,

SMART Recovery has received reports of multiple Zoom bombings in our online meetings this week. According to information from volunteers and participants, individuals have been joining the meetings and causing disruptions, primarily in the chat. Additionally, some disruptors have started altering their names and profile pictures to mimic other attendees in the room.

Acknowledging the possibility of disturbances, we aim to offer some practical advice to aid you in case of any issues. Maintaining calmness is important. Those who disrupt, such as 'Zoom bombers', seek to provoke reactions from participants. The guidelines provided below are designed to help minimize disruptions and preserve the continuity of the meeting for everyone involved.

Above all, avoid co-hosting anyone in the room as it may unintentionally grant control to a disruptor.

In your Zoom toolbar, click on "Host tools" and then click on "Suspend participant activities". This will turn off chat, microphones and video for all participants, including you.

Unmute yourself and calmly explain to your participants that you have suspended all participant activities to limit the impact of the disruptors present in the meeting. Let them know that cameras and chat have been disabled and all mics have been muted.

As the host, you have the option to continue the meeting and present a tool or display a SMART video, should you feel comfortable doing so. Alternatively, you may decide to conclude the meeting if you believe it is the appropriate action after informing the participants in advance.

Historical trends indicate that disturbances in online meeting spaces are usually short-lived. We anticipate that the current interruptions in our meetings will diminish within a week. Should you require any assistance for yourself or your participants, do not hesitate to contact us at volunteerhq@smartrecovery.com. In the event of a Zoom bombing incident, please report it to mgilbert@smartrecovery.org.

Sincerely,