The tech tycoon is said to have disabled the company's access, 'effectively immediately', and notified its more than 6,000 employees in an email dated March 28 about the change.

'We understand that many of us were using this tool for conferences and meeting support,' SpaceX said in the message.

'Please use email, text or phone as alternate means of communication.'

SpaceX's ban on Zoom illustrates the mounting challenges facing aerospace manufacturers as they develop technology deemed vital to national security while also trying to keep employees safe from the fast-spreading respiratory illness.

NASA, one of SpaceX's biggest customers, also prohibits its employees from using Zoom, said Stephanie Schierholz, a spokeswoman for the U.S. space agency.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Boston office on Monday issued a warning about Zoom, telling users not to make meetings on the site public or share links widely after it received two reports of unidentified individuals invading school sessions, a phenomenon known as 'Zoombombing.'