There are many reasons why your employer would like to go through your private messages.
Reading your messages doesn’t equal snooping for gossip. Before 2018, employers could only download information about public channels, however, now they can download private conversations too.
On the other hand, direct chats aren’t visible to our coworkers and managers.Įven though private messages cannot be read by your boss as you send them, they can be downloaded and exported into zip files (JSON type of files). Usually, both private and public chats could be seen by anyone within the workspace. Channels can be either private or public, and the level of their privacy is set by their admin. First, we can make a difference between private messages (or DMs) and Slack channels. Slack is a great platform that allows us to stay connected and updated either by sending instant messages or host video and audio calls.įurthermore, Slack provides an opportunity for employees to bond - via open chat rooms where they can discuss everyday topics or private chats for more intimate and confidential conversations.īut, how private Slack messages are? Do we have too much trust in this app, and is it really the place for just any type of discussion? And most importantly: can my employer read my Slack messages? How private is Slack and are Slack messages private?īefore we begin, let's make a brief overview of the type of communication you can have in Slack. Many of us use Slack to communicate with our coworkers, team leads, and clients.