The ???.?????.?????.???.?????workplace messaging app Slack, which seeks to "reinvent work," did an about face Wednesday after users complained a new feature took a step toward reinventing harassment.
The latest addition to Slack Connect, announced Wednesday, aimed to "replace email outside your company" by letting users send direct messages to any Slack user, anywhere. There was just one, rather large problem with this lofty goal: Many Slack users didn't want to receive DMs from anyone, anywhere, and feared the new service included the potential for abuse.
After some consideration, it seems Slack agreed.
"After rolling out Slack Connect DMs this morning, we received valuable feedback from our users about how email invitations to use the feature could potentially be used to send abusive or harassing messages," Jonathan Prince, Slack's vice president of communications and policy, explained over email. "We are taking immediate steps to prevent this kind of abuse, beginning today with the removal of the ability to customize a message when a user invites someone to Slack Connect DMs."
In order to DM anyone, users were first prompted to send an invitation email to that person. Which makes sense, in theory, except for the fact that the invitation emails from a Slack email domain could contain custom — and potentially threatening or harassing — text. And because those emails would be coming from Slack itself, they would be more difficult to block.
"Anytime a platform decides to create new and unexpected linkages between its users, trust and safety considerations must be worked in as part of the design," Jackie Singh, a former senior cybersecurity staffer in the Biden campaign who was personally targeted last year in a social media-tied doxxing campaign, explained over Twitter direct message. "The way this feature has been released does not indicate sufficient thought was put into the user experience at scale."
Other potential Slack users shared their concerns on Twitter.
"My first reaction to this news was 'oh, another way men can harass women on the internet,'" wrote the Wilson Center's Nina Jankowicz. "Did @SlackHQ talk to ANY women before rolling this out?"
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
"Completely unsurprised that Slack either didn't predict or didn't care that this new feature could be used for unavoidable abuse and harassment," wrote Kat Cosgrove.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
In response, hours after it announced the new feature, Slack backtracked — altering Slack Connect in such a way to, at least partially, address users' concerns by removing the ability to add custom text to emailed Slack Connect invites.
"We made a mistake in this initial roll-out that is inconsistent with our goals for the product and the typical experience of Slack Connect usage," wrote Prince. "As always, we are grateful to everyone who spoke up, and we are committed to fixing this issue."
Notably, as Singh explained, this doesn't address the broader issue that Slack Connect presents.
SEE ALSO: How the Twitter hack highlights the dangers of Slack
"I also think part of the reason why many people are complaining about this is that the innate separation between Slack Workspaces was always a core functionality," she wrote. "This move subverts that in a way without accounting for potential consequences towards users, especially those who are most at-risk for targeted harassment."
Reinventing work, it seems, it a messy process.
He Has Plans for Alhambra
Meta Quest 3 hands
How to preorder the two new Microsoft Surface laptops
8 burning 'Only Murders in the Building' questions ahead of the finale
Funeral Services Announced for Officer Hirai
Beducated has a new AI sex coach
'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for September 21, 2023
Tinder users can now find true love for just $500 per month
LTSC Announces+LAB Artist Residency Program
Pegging: Strap
‘JA Redress Movement and Social Justice Today: 30 Years of the Civil Liberties Act’
The Apple Watch Series 8 is just $279 at Best Buy in a small/medium
YouTube is getting rid of its Premium Lite subscription plan
Meta Quest 3 fully unveiled at Connect 2023: How is it different from Quest 2?
Top Innovator
‘It Lives Inside’ review: Meet the Pishach, your favorite new nightmare.
'Quordle' today: See each 'Quordle' answer and hints for September 28, 2023
Unity is walking back its runtime install policy
‘JA Redress Movement and Social Justice Today: 30 Years of the Civil Liberties Act’
Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for September 26
Gofaizen & Sherle Launches A Crypto Product For UAE MarketSK demolish HR, advance to playoffsSK demolish HR, advance to playoffsTalk on Miné Okubo at Monterey Park LibrarySpheroid To Launch AI Avatars In Augmented RealityParis Blockchain Week turns Carrousel du Louvre into Palace of Web3Oscar Winners, Nominees Protest Jokes About Asians; Academy RespondsHashEx Launches ForkChecker for Developers and Crypto EnthusiastsL.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival Celebrates 32 YearsAscendant Launches An Astrology Application ‘The Dam Keeper’ to Be Expanded to Feature Length L.A. Daiku’s Autumn Choral Classics Concert ‘Aloha Kalikimaka’ at the Aratani WOW Summit Hong Kong 2024 Unveils Stellar Lineup of Speakers Kryptoplanet Champions Asia’s Web3 Future with BUIDL Asia and ETH Seoul 2024 Curry and Conversation with GLA JACL Stables Launches International Remittances Between Australia & The Philippines Final photos from SLTV XIII day 1 MANAA Praises ‘Moana’ as Gold Standard for Animated Films A Night in Stars Hollow
0.1426s , 10027.3359375 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【???.?????.?????.???.?????】Enter to watch online.Slack backtracks after 'DM anyone' feature set up users for harassment,Global Perspective Monitoring
