Slack launched its private message feature to anyone on Wednesday and immediately faced an adverse reaction.
The big picture: The company now says it is removing the ability to include a message with a connection request to prevent harassment and abuse.
Background: “Slack Connect” allows you to request direct messages to be sent to anyone using the platform – even if you are not working at the same company (although you need the email address for the request).
- The initial release left many users wondering what protections existed to protect them from unwanted messages and abuse, with some quickly finding ways to send nasty communications with the feature.
What they are saying: “After launching the Slack Connect DMs this morning, we received valuable feedback from our users on how email invitations to use the feature could be used to send abusive or harassing messages,” said Jonathan Prince, vice president communications and Slack policies in a statement.
- “We are taking immediate steps to prevent this type of abuse, starting today with the removal of the ability to personalize a message when a user invites someone to Slack Connect DMs.”