Slack has performed a u-turn on a feature that allowed users to send a personalised message when attempted to connect with any other user on its platform.
The feature was part of Slack Connect, which lets users communicate with users from outside their organisation. It allowed users to include a custom message attached to the invite, with seemingly no way for the recipient to reject the message.
Critics had complained that it exposed users to potential abuse as they could not stop the connection requests coming through.
In a statement, Jonathan Prince, VP of communications at Slack, said: “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.
“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”
“Slack Connect’s security features and robust administrative controls are a core part of its value both for individual users and their organizations. 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.”
Slack is championing the Connect feature as being “designed to replace email outside your company”.
