The current pandemic has spurred the need for video conferencing platforms as more and more people look for options to meet while keeping in line with the increasing number of lockdowns around the world. Popular video conferencing platform, Zoom, was propelled into the limelight thanks to this. However, after being embattled in a privacy controversy, people are looking for alternatives.

Google is stepping up to the plate by offering their Google Meet platform for free starting next week. Google Meet isn’t something new from the tech company, in fact, many of their government, corporate and education users already use it for patient consultations, meetings and classes.

Google Meet will also not need users to download separate apps on laptops and desktops. It is able to run natively on Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox and other modern browsers. Google claims that this makes the service more secure. It is also already available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Google is promising a more secured experience when it comes to using Google Meet. The company highlights that it has created a strong set of host controls; allowing hosts to deny entry to meetings and even remove participants. In addition, participants will need to have a google account to enter or use the service and more complex meetings code help deter unknowns.

Google has put up a site for users to register their interest and to be notified immediately when the service is available in their region. \