How can I stop the webex desktop application displaying my outlook calendar

[AndrewSims24185]

When I start the webex desktop application on windows 10 it is showing all the meetings in my outlook calendar.

I have not given webex permission to access my outlook calendar, so how do I disable webex's access to outlook so that it does not attach itself to a random calendar.

I do not want webex displaying any data from my outlook calendar.

I have not enabled webex integration in outlook.

[Fritz_H]

Lots of "interesting" POVs here:
Some seem to use Windows 10, Office 365 etc. but are worried about "privacy" when using Webex?
(use windows 10? Office 365?? perhaps even Whatsapp? on the company-phone?)

Some seem to think, that Webex is meant to be used to "manage the Outlook-Calendar".
Just because it "shows" the schedule to handle the Webex-Meetings in the Calendar?

And, as it seems,  all this could be easily avoided by creating a free Webex-Account.
I wonder if those forum-members also hesitated to create an Apple-ID or Google-Account for their mobile device..
Or a Microsoft-Account - to access the Microsoft-APP-Store etc....

From my POV Cisco is not worse than "the others" (some mentioned above..) but is seems that all frustration and negative feelings regarding loss of privacy, Cloud-Hype etc. is now spilled over Cisco - instead of properly targeting the criticism to all those individual service-providers whose behavior piled up this frustration bit by bit...

[hwyhobo]

> And, as it seems, all this could be easily avoided by creating a free Webex-Account.

Seems to whom? If you are using it in business, on a business account, and you want to have full features including screen and application sharing, you have to install the app.

[Fritz_H]

@hwyhobo 

Perhaps we have a misunderstanding here.
I tried to keep my posting short, but perhaps this is not easy in a foreign language, sorry for that.

I tried to refer to the reasonable complaint, that there is no option to stop the Webex-Client from accessing the Outlook-Calendar if there is no alternative (= Webex-Calendar) available - which is the case if the user does not have a Webex-Account (because s/he is using the Webex just as a participant/guest..).

We may either wait for Cisco to fix that issue or take action by creating a free "Dummy"-Account at Webex (pragmatic approach, work-around).

Note: I am using free Webex-accounts since.. 2015 ? - and never received any "marketing" eMails etc. from Cisco/Webex.
Not even notification about temporary upgrades of free accounts during the christmas holidays etc.

[buettner-ma]

Sadly, this has been quiet for a while with no apparent change for the better. Aside from the discussion whether this consitutes a "breach" or not, just to add a bit of context: the described phenomenon keeps us, a government agency with 1000 users, from installing the app because the use of calendar data by a third party app would only be allowed if there were a need for this transfer AND if that app were certified for the secure use of this calendar data. If we could disable the data transfer, we would install the app for all our users tomorrow. Since we cannot, we have to confront our users with the subpar usability and performance of the web client. This is sad.

[Oz Tech]

I created an account since I felt this conversation needed more input. The inability to provide users with the option of not having Cisco intrude on their calendar should be simple. While you might not consider it a breach, Mike, I certainly do: a breach of trust. Give people the option of allowing access during an install. Go ahead and make the default selection "Share my calendar with the Webex application" but at least allow me the option of disabling it before assuming it is in my best interest.

I searched all over Outlook trying to find some add-in, toolbar, or something to disable this access. When I wasn't able to find anything, I turned to Google. It wasn't until I found this thread that I saw the true reason and the inability to opt out.

The fact that Webex actively reverts someone's conscious choice to disable the integration via the registry is nefarious. And what's even worse, the "best current option ... to uninstall the app" leaves the entire registry intact. Webex can't even be a good corporate citizen and clean up the remnants of its install.

This has left me with a somewhat unpleasing situation. I am removing Webex from our domain and am also going to notify vendors that if they wish to screen share, they will need to use another app to do so.

[tty]

This is crazy. Having to hack registry keys to disable an assumed permission to my outlook calendar because there is no option to disable... There is no excuse for that. I will never be using this application as is.

[ewald.jenisch]

Why by all means does a web conferencing solution like WebEx need access to the calender - even more when WebEx is open for "guest"?

How does this go together with GDPR??

Speaking of: Can anybody from Cisco please comment on whether this is "only" a display feature or if data from the user's calender is transferred to Cisco?

[Mike_Brezicky]

Unless you are an active customer, with Hybrid Calendar enabled by the Admin - the desktop application is read only into the local calendar files on your C: drive. It will not send any of this information back to the cloud. The way the app is looking at the calendar is due to the built in API's of outlook locally, and as you are logged in as yourself, and running both apps, the computer treats is sort of like SSO and trusts the connection.

For your first question, whether its an acceptable answer or not, the application is Webex "Meetings" so it wants to look at your meetings naturally.

[SebastiaanvandenBerg]

Hi,

Is there an solution for this? Because i find this very anyoing i've als reported this to our security team because i think it's a security breach.

[Mike_Brezicky]

This might need to be opened with TAC or further. If the reghack and other tools we have suggested are not holding, then your best current option is to uninstall the app.

Please note - I do not believe this to be a breach - as the app install had to be accepted. The application is just utilizing the existing Microsoft API's with the current authenticated user to read files on the hard drive. as you the user have accessed the app, it is being allowed to read files with the same permissions. A breach would be if it were able to read other user profiles. It is for sure an oversight to not allow the "None" option box for Guest / unauthenticated webex accounts. Perhaps someone can open that as a request in the new Product Ideas form.

[hwyhobo]

> It is for sure an oversight to not allow the "None" option
> box for Guest / unauthenticated webex accounts.

No, if it is to follow security practices, there should be a default "None" option for authorized users as well. Why should an authorized user suffer unwanted intrusion?

In fact, does anyone at Cisco believe people want their desktop WebEx app to manage their Outlook events? Seriously?

[Mike_Brezicky]

None is available on accounts that have logged into the app. The previous reghack I posted was an attempt to select it for a Guest login. It seemed to work, but did not hold after a period of time.

For your last question, although I understand its a bit rhetorical but the answer is yes, of course they expect the integration of an app called Webex "Meetings" to link with a calendar / meeting source.

[S. Pavasovic]

It seems that the registry hack works fine - but, unfortunately, only until the user signs out ant then back in.

Apparently, every sign in changes the registry value back to 1.

[hwyhobo]

> of course they expect the integration of an app called Webex
> "Meetings" to link with a calendar / meeting source

(1) Not without my explicit permission
(2) Never the way it is done — I don't need an intrusive popup hijacking my sound and trying to log me into a meeting I am already in or one I set up for someone else.

I have been in the software industry for decades, and based on what I have seen of this application, the fundamental problems with its behavior that smack of an architectural design by someone with no industry experience, lack of responses to reported issues, I could write an essay on the problems within that group.

We have just switched to Zoom.

[Mike_Brezicky]

In the webex meetings desktop app, Open the preferences > Calendar. There should only be two options. Switch to Webex meeting and it will only link to meetings scheduled from webex.

[AndrewSims24185]

The webex desktop application does not list "webex" as an option. It only shows Outlook and that is pre-selected.

I have tried all the command line installation switches and none of them stop the application grabbing a random outlook calendar and displaying it with the application.

The email address I have used for my guest account is not my windows login and does not have an outlook mailbox on this specific PC, so the app is merrily getting access to outlook without providing any credentials.

Every time I am invited to a webex meeting it is prompting to install the app if its not their already, and the meeting is then launched by the app.

I would not be objecting so much if the Webex desktop app had an option not to show "today" but its currently displaying a private calendar which I cannot either hide or unlink.

[teamcomputing]

We have the same problem and we have now told the staff that webex is not allowed.

This sort of privacy breach is simply not on.

Cisco - it's time you provided us with an option to let users control what webex sees.

[hwyhobo]

Same here. While I have options "Outlook" or "WebEx", I want "Neither". I set up meetings for many other people, and WebEx client is constantly popping up on my desktop, hijacking my sound and loading up my CPU. Stop doing that! I already have an application that manages my schedule, far superior to WebEx client, and I don't want WebEx to usurp that role. I am tired of constantly having to uninstall this stupid thing and then having to reinstall it every time I have a legitimate meeting. As far as I am concerned, Cisco has entered the realm of making malware. I have told my team we will be switching to another teleconferencing solution. I don't understand how Cisco can be so deaf to user concerns.

[bjamaspi]

Is everyone here saying that when you go to Settings >> Preferences >> Calendar ...  you do not see a 'Webex Meeting" option similar to the one attached in my screenshot?

Please let me know and if you can also send a screenshot, that will be extremely helpful