‘Uh oh I gotta stop venting so much on Teams’: Worker says boss can read Slack messages—even ‘private’ ones
Slack is a great way for employees to connect with one another and share ideas. But one worker recently issued a warning to others who use the platform: Don’t say anything on it that you wouldn’t want your boss to read.
In a viral TikTok video that has amassed over 426,500 views as of Wednesday afternoon, Gabrielle (@Gabrielle_judge) explained that the workplace chat application is far less secure than most employees believe.
@gabrielle_judge Companies are using tools to spy on employees. You can tell if your job is spying on you through this remote working tip. Thanks to the rise of remote working and the great resignation this is now a thing #toxicmanager #corporatejobs #9to5 #microsoftteamstips #mousejiggler #workersrights ♬ original sound - Gabrielle👸🏻
“Your boss is absolutely spying on you,” Gabrielle said. “Especially if you use Slack.”
Gabrielle said that Slack administrators have access to the full logs of any chat channels and can even download supposed “private” chats at any time.
“Your employer can also request access to your private Slack chat,” she said. “Never say or write anything that you wouldn’t want everyone else to find out.”
There are, however, rules that govern whether your boss can access your private Slacks. According to Vox, certain Slack plans require employers to have a valid legal reason for needing to access the messages.
Still, Gabrielle encouraged workers who want to have private chats to get their own Slack channels and designate themselves as the administrators. That way, she said, there’s no concern that any party’s privacy might be invaded.
In the comments section, viewers expressed skepticism that bosses have the time to read their employee’s private chats.
“Your boss is not reading your Slack messages unless you give them a specific reason to,” one user said. “They barely read their own messages lol.”
“Head of IT here,” another responded. “Technically yes, but no. We can export messages, but it’s a LOT of work. It gives us a massive JSON file.”
Nonetheless, others refused to take the privacy warning lightly and pledged to be mindful while using Slack and other, similar platforms.
“Uh oh I gotta stop venting so much on teams,” a third viewer quipped.
The Daily Dot has contacted both Gabrielle and Slack via email.
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