Nude Zoom accidents are growing by the day

new york — A top US commentator and author who exposed himself on a Zoom call isn’t the first case of unwitting nudity while video conferencing, but is arguably the most shocking.

Jeffrey Toobin, 60, apologised on Monday after he was suspended by the New Yorker magazine for showing his private parts during a conference call with colleagues about the upcoming presidential election.

It happened during an election simulation between New Yorker staff and WNYC radio in which participants played roles including those of President Donald Trump and Democrat opponent Joe Biden.

During a break, Toobin appeared to be on a second Zoom call but was then seen on camera touching his private parts, according to Vice’s sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“I made an embarrassingly stupid mistake, believing I was offcamera. I apologise to my wife, family, friends and co-workers,” Toobin said in a statement to Vice.

“I believed I was not visible on Zoom. I thought no one on the Zoom call could see me. I thought I had muted the Zoom video,” he added.

The incident is the latest example of Zoom users inadvertently baring more than their chat participants bargained for as video conferencing booms during the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, an Argentine lawmaker was suspended after he fondled his partner’s breasts during a parliamentary session being held by video conference.

As another MP spoke on a giant screen installed in parliament, which showed participants in their homes, Juan Emilio Ameri, 47, was seen pulling one of the woman’s breasts out of her T-shirt and kissing it.

The parliamentary session was interrupted and then suspended by the speaker.

Confused, Ameri tried to apologise, saying he did not think he was connected to the internet at that particular moment.

“Here in the center of the country the connection is very poor,” said Ameri, who was suspended from parliament for five days. —