Restrict Zoom AI Agents’ Access to Meetings and Data

You can limit Zoom AI Companion and other AI-enabled meeting features by turning off the features your organization does not permit, narrowing who can use them, and controlling what information is shared or retained. The exact controls depend on your Zoom plan, account role, and whether you manage an organization or only your own profile.

What You’ll Need

• A Zoom account and access to the Zoom web portal. To change organization-wide settings, you need account-owner or administrator privileges; some settings may be managed by a group administrator.
• The list of AI features your organization uses or wants to restrict, such as Meeting Summary, AI Companion questions, or third-party meeting assistants.
• For an organization, an agreed policy covering permitted users, meeting types, data handling, and any required participant notice.

Step-by-Step

1. Identify the AI access you need to control. Zoom AI Companion features are distinct from independent third-party AI meeting assistants that join as participants or connect through integrations. Decide whether you need to restrict Zoom’s built-in features, external services, or both. Make a short inventory of features in use and the teams or meeting types that need them.
2. Sign in to the Zoom web portal with the right role. Open the web portal in a browser. For account-wide controls, sign in as an account owner or administrator. An individual user can usually change personal settings, but cannot override a setting locked by an administrator. If a setting is unavailable, ask the account administrator rather than assuming it is not supported.
3. Review AI Companion settings. In the portal, open Settings and look for the AI Companion section. Zoom may organize settings differently as features change, so use the portal’s settings search if the section or a named feature is not immediately visible. Review each relevant control, including meeting summaries and in-meeting questions, instead of relying on one general AI toggle.
4. Turn off features that are not approved. Disable the relevant feature for the account or for the users who should not have it. If you want to allow a feature only for selected people, use the available group or user-level controls rather than enabling it broadly. Where Zoom offers a lock icon or a control to lock a setting, lock the approved value to prevent users from changing it themselves. Verify whether a change applies to existing meetings, new meetings, or both by checking the setting description.
5. Check group and user settings for exceptions. Zoom administrators can have settings at account, group, and individual levels. A more specific group or user setting may affect what a person sees, subject to the account’s locked controls. Review the settings for relevant groups and test with a representative user account. Do not assume that changing a default has removed a previously granted exception.
6. Restrict external AI assistants and integrations separately. Review the Zoom App Marketplace and your organization’s approved-app or app-management controls. Remove or block unapproved meeting assistants and integrations where your account provides that control, and review which apps have access to meeting content or account data. If a service has its own Zoom connection, revoke that connection in the relevant app or account settings as well. Turning off Zoom AI Companion does not automatically disable third-party tools.
7. Limit meeting exposure at the meeting level. For meetings where AI assistance is not permitted, the host should check the available AI Companion controls before and during the meeting and ensure restricted features are off. Review participant and recording settings too: a person who can access a recording, transcript, chat, or shared file may still disclose its contents outside the meeting. Use the narrowest sharing and recording permissions that meet the meeting’s needs.
8. Review data and retention controls. Check Zoom’s current admin settings and account documentation for controls governing meeting summaries, transcripts, recordings, and other AI-related content. Retention and availability can vary by feature and account configuration. Set access and retention to match your organization’s policy, and avoid assuming that disabling an AI feature deletes data already created. Handle existing material through the appropriate recording, transcript, or data-management controls.
9. Test, communicate, and document the result. Run a test meeting with a user who should not have access and confirm the feature is unavailable or disabled. Check a permitted user separately if you have a limited-access policy. Tell hosts what is restricted and how to report an unexpected AI assistant. Record the settings changed, the responsible administrator, and when they should be reviewed again.

Common Mistakes

• Switching off only one feature. Disabling meeting summaries may not disable AI questions, other AI Companion functions, or third-party assistants. Review each relevant control.
• Changing a personal setting instead of an admin setting. A user-level preference does not establish an organization-wide restriction, and an administrator may lock it.
• Assuming Zoom controls govern external tools. Marketplace apps and separately connected services may have their own permissions and data handling.
• Expecting an off switch to erase past content. Previously created summaries, recordings, transcripts, and shared files may need separate access or deletion actions.
• Forgetting exceptions and scope. Group settings, user settings, and feature availability can differ. Test the exact account and meeting types affected.

Tips

• Start with a written policy that distinguishes prohibited features from features permitted for particular teams or meetings.
• Use the narrowest available scope: restrict by group or user when a blanket account-wide ban is unnecessary.
• Review app access periodically, especially after teams adopt a new scheduling, recording, or transcription tool.
• Ask hosts to check for AI-generated notes or assistant participants before sharing sensitive material.
• Recheck settings after plan changes, feature updates, or changes to your organization’s Zoom administration.

Troubleshooting

The setting is missing: Confirm you are signed in to the web portal, not only the desktop app, and that your role has permission to manage it. Search Settings for “AI Companion.” Some controls may depend on plan, region, or feature availability; consult your Zoom administrator or current Zoom support documentation.

A user can still turn the feature on: Check whether the setting is locked and whether the user belongs to a group with a different configuration. Confirm that you changed the correct feature and scope, then ask the user to refresh or sign out and back in before testing again.

An AI assistant still appears in a meeting: Determine whether it is a Zoom feature or an external participant or integration. Review the participant list, approved apps, and connected services. Remove or block the external app through the relevant admin controls; do not rely on the AI Companion toggle for this.

Previously generated content remains accessible: Disabling a feature generally should not be treated as a deletion command. Locate the relevant recording, transcript, summary, or file and manage its sharing, retention, or deletion using the applicable controls. If the material is not visible to you, contact the account administrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I disable Zoom AI Companion for everyone?
Account owners or administrators can disable available features at account level, subject to the controls and options shown for their account. Check for locked settings and group exceptions.

Can I allow AI Companion for only certain teams?
Where your account provides group-level controls, configure the feature for approved groups and verify the account-level settings do not override the intended scope.

Does disabling AI Companion block third-party meeting bots?
No. External assistants and integrations are separate. Review Marketplace app permissions and connected services independently.

Does turning off an AI feature delete summaries or transcripts already made?
Do not assume so. Review existing content and manage its access or deletion through the controls for that content type.

Can a meeting host restrict AI for just one meeting?
Available meeting-level controls can vary. Check the meeting’s AI Companion options and confirm the restrictions before sensitive discussion begins; organization-wide settings may also apply.

Why can’t I change an AI setting?
Your account role may lack permission, an administrator may have locked the setting, or the feature may not be available on your account. Ask the account owner or administrator to confirm.

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