How the Zoom macOS installer does its job without you clicking ‘install’

1) If Zoom can do this then it's a MacOS security bug.

2) UX matters. Users don't care about the technical details, they want a smooth experience and that can be the difference between a billion-dollar business or a failed startup. And yes the desktop version is more stable than the web-based UI.

3) Malware is defined by what it does, not how it's installed.

is botnet agent not malware? it's not doing anything until the operator sends the payload.

A botnet agent is designed to take control and run a bot, so yes it's malware. It doesn't have to be actively doing it at that moment to be considered such.

Zoom does report usage to Facebook whether you have an account or not - and that data is used to stitch together a web profile of the user that is of no benefit to the user. Zoom is bordering on malware, just... malware that comes with a useful app that allows video conferencing.