A recent 1 Million Cups Omaha (1MC Omaha) event was abruptly cut short when an unwelcome Zoom intruder accessed the public link, causing significant disruption. According to a Silicon Prairie News reporter who was present, the intruder appeared to be a bot that “zoombombed” the virtual meeting, displaying graphic and offensive imagery. Zoombombing occurs when someone disrupts a video conference by sharing inappropriate content. 

The reporter present described a chaotic scene where pornographic images, content related to racial discrimination groups and Nazi symbols filled their screens. Organizers quickly attempted to remove the intruder and regain control, but the disruption forced them to turn off the Zoom session. The broadcast, which was being shown in The Ashton at Millwork Commons, was shut down both in-person and online. The incident prompted immediate discussions about enhanced security measures.

The in-person event was moved online due to subzero temperatures. Jessica Queen, a 1MC Omaha organizer, said the goal was to make the event accessible to everyone by using an open Zoom link, but that ended up leaving them vulnerable. She compared it to “leaving your car unlocked.”

1MC Omaha organizers posted the following statement on LinkedIn:

“This morning while we were hosting our remote session, our live stream was disrupted by hackers. As a result attendees on zoom, and in person at the Dock saw and heard offensive language that is in no way reflective of 1MC or the Omaha organizing team. We are meeting as a team to figure out how to best secure our events to prevent situations like this happening in the future. We thank everyone who joined us online this morning and participated in a great conversation prior to the disruption.”

Going forward Queen says the organizers are planning to implement stronger security measures, password protection and considering transitioning to hosting the virtual events on YouTube. 

Heather Nelson, founder of Poll The Vote, was scheduled to present and described the disturbance as being the work of an AI bot, rather than a targeted attack.

“I feel nothing other than remorse for everybody there and my students,” Nelson said.

Nelson’s presentation at 1MC Omaha was to focus on her project, Poll The Vote, which has recently gained media attention, including a story published in the Nebraska Examiner. 

Nelson launched Ideologix Insights, a data analytics laboratory in Omaha. Its flagship platform, Poll The Vote, is operated in a nonpartisan environment. The platform collects and safeguards data, then creates aggregated anonymous reports for elected leaders to better understand the sentiment of their constituents.

Queen said she is proud of the 1MC Omaha team for handling the unusual and uncomfortable Zoomboming situation.

Nelson’s Poll The Vote presentation has been rescheduled for Wednesday, March 5. 1MC Omaha is preparing a campaign to talk more about how to prevent cybersecurity breaches while live streaming in the coming weeks.

“We just want to make sure that the safety and security of those who are entrusting us with their views is absolutely top of mind for us,” explained Queen.