Disappearing Messages
WhatsApp now offers the option to send ‘disappearing messages’. This automatically deletes the message as soon as it has been viewed.
What are the benefits?
For personal communication, these are potentially useful features.
Reduce memory consumption on your device as less content is stored.
Share information you do not want to store, such as a password or bank details.
Prevent information being forwarded if it is only intended for the recipient.
What are the risks?
WhatsApp should not be used for professional communication, as discussed here. Nevertheless, it is used in the workplace, and disappearing messages carry additional risks.
There is no record of the message content, either for the sender or recipient.
There is no way to preview content, the recipient has to open the message to view it.
There is no way to report content once it has been viewed, as it will have been deleted.
What are the implications?
Organisations and individuals who use WhatsApp for professional communication are not only in breach of WhatsApp’s terms of service, they are likely to face accountability and welfare issues.
Organisations have no way to regulate or audit communication.
Subject Access and Freedom of Information requests cannot be fulfilled.
There is no way to prove (and therefore prevent) staff harassment by electronic means.
What is the answer?
Disappearing messages adds to the case against WhatsApp as a tool for professional communication. This is not the fault of Facebook (who own WhatsApp); they explicitly state the service should only be used for personal communication.
The burden of responsibility is on employers to provide their staff with a viable alternative to WhatsApp for fast, effective workplace communication. Many solutions exist, from the complex (e.g. Slack) to the simple (e.g. ChatPro).
If staff have a need for a WhatsApp style communication tool, the answer is not to ban WhatsApp, or turn a blind eye to its use. The answer is to find and embed a suitable alternative.