Why ChatPro?

ChatPro is an alternative to WhatsApp that is suitable for use in organisations that work with children and vulnerable adults.

While WhatsApp is a great tool for personal communication, it is not suitable for use in organisations with safeguarding obligations. This is because it creates safeguarding and data protection risks that the organisation cannot manage. These are are as follows:

• Privacy: WhatsApp discloses users’ phone numbers, which impacts privacy and allows unrestricted contact between users. This puts staff at risk of unwanted contact, and pupils at risk of cyberbullying, and even grooming in the worst case scenario.

• Accountability: WhatsApp only stores messages on individual devices, so there is no central record of communication. If an organisation needs to review messages or manage organisational data, they have no method for doing so.

• Control: WhatsApp is controlled by individual users. The organisation within which it is being used has no control over network membership, permissions (particularly the ability to send direct messages) and access to organisational data.

ChatPro enables the organisation to manage and control these risks in the following ways:

• Privacy: Contact details are not shared. Users join their organisation using a unique code, sharing their name, role and profile picture. When they leave the organisation, they are removed from the network, and access to other users and messages ends.

• Accountability: Messages and call recordings are saved in the subscribing organisation’s archive. This protects users, because messages and calls can be reviewed by the organisation’s management. It also deters poor behaviour, as users know they are accountable for what they say.

• Control: ChatPro is a closed network that is managed by the organisation. Administrators control who joins the network and what their permissions are. Likewise administrators can suspend users if necessary, and remove them when they leave the organisation.