Slack’s new policy lets bosses read your DMs without consent

Slack’s updated policy allows employers to read your private messages

Slack, a popular internal office messaging platform, has just updated its privacy policy and tools. The updated policy will now make it easier for your boss to get access to your private communications with your colleagues without notifying you.

For those unfamiliar, Slack (Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge) is a cloud-based set of team collaboration tools that offers a variety of features including group chats, private messaging, and chat rooms (called channels).

In an update hidden on its Help page, Slack writes: “Workspace Owners can request access to a self-service export tool to download all data from their workspace. This includes content from public and private channels and direct messages.” Customers who are on Slack’s Plus and Enterprise Grid plans will be able to access their employees’ direct messages from April 20, 2018.

In a statement to Fast Company, the company said, “Slack announced several changes to our product offerings and policies to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We are announcing these changes so customers can prepare themselves for GDPR’s implementation, which impacts any company offering goods or services to EU-based customers. For the latest information about changes to our tools and Privacy Policy please see our Help Center and Privacy Policy.”

Prior to the policy update, Slack only offered what was called a ‘compliance export’, a service similar to the new self-service export tool. However, the company had to enable the compliance report feature to set it up, which meant that the feature required Slack users to be notified if it was being used.

For companies using Slack channels on free or Standard plans, administrators can still request private messages and other data, as long as they provide the software provider with valid legal process, consent of members, or a requirement or right under applicable laws. In simple words, pay Slack to secretly and easily spy on your workspace.

If you want to check if your team has access to your DMs, you can visit https://YourTeamNameHere.slack.com/account/team, and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Go to ‘Exports,’ check and see what privileges are listed on it. If it only lists ‘PUBLIC DATA CAN BE EXPORTED,’ then your boss cannot automatically see your DMs without notifying you.

So, the next time you decide to chat in Slack, be careful of what you write, because remember your boss is watching over you!!!

Source: Dailymail

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