Business info - issue 144

Get the message Ashley Friedlein gives five reasons why businesses should avoid using consumer messaging apps likeWhatsApp Like video meeting solutions, the use of consumer messaging apps has rocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, with WhatsApp usage up 40% according to analysis by Kantar. We know some of this increase will be for professional purposes because in a recent survey of 1,261 UK workers commissioned by Guild, 41% admitted to usingWhatsApp for work. While the explosion in messaging is to be welcomed as a simple and fast way to connect and collaborate digitally, using WhatsApp for business communication is risky for five reasons. 1 Legal terms prohibit business use WhatsApp’s terms clearly exclude its use for commercial purposes. They state: “You will not use (or assist others in using) our Services in ways that involve any non-personal use.” Although it seems unlikely that Facebook would sue a company for such use, it has threatened litigation against businesses that useWhatsApp for overly commercial reasons. 2 GDPR and other privacy legislation It is practically impossible to useWhatsApp in a way that is compliant with GDPR and other privacy legislation. Lack of explicit consent when adding other users; an inability to delete information after an hour; an inability to request your own message data; and the transfer of data outside the EU are all reasons for a business to be concerned. 3 Record keeping of conversations Depending on the jurisdiction and industry sector involved, businesses have varying degrees of legal obligation to keep a record of communications with employees, suppliers and other stakeholders.WhatsApp keeps no record of such conversations. 4 Corporate governance Businesses have legal obligations to protect employees and ensure adequate levels of oversight, governance and control e.g. to protect against bullying in the workplace, harassment or inappropriate behaviour. Businesses also need to protect sensitive commercial information.WithWhatsApp, businesses won’t know what groups exist, let alone who is in them or whether former employees or contractors still have access to information they shouldn’t. Businesses can’t delete messages, however inappropriate or damaging, and even if admin removes a member from aWhatsApp group, they can’t revoke access to content unless the user himself/herself deletes that content. 5 Safeguarding risks WhileWhatsApp's terms of use say it shouldn’t be used by those under 16 years of age, safeguarding extends beyond children to young people and vulnerable adults. The problem withWhatsApp is that admins or hosts of messaging groups cannot moderate or delete the contributions of others, even if those messages create safeguarding issues. The fact that WhatsApp is so ubiquitous has encouraged many businesses to turn a blind eye to its use at work, especially during the COVID-19 crisis. However, there are alternatives, from general purpose professional messaging apps like Guild to industry-specific apps like Hospify in healthcare or Novastone in financial services, that like consumer messaging apps are easy to use and free (or very affordable), but which provide the privacy, security, control and regulatory compliance necessary for business and professional use. Ashley Friedlein is the CEO & Founder of Guild, a private professional messaging app that is designed to be as easy to use as WhatsApp, advertising-free and GDPR compliant. http://guild.co 01732 759725 magazine 27 COLLABORATION 20,000 US and UK workers surveyed on April 6-7 cited videoconferencing as their preferred communication method in the transition to home-working (vs. 32% for written updates/briefings, 13% for texting/messaging and 9% for phone calls), 58% think they are spending too much time on video calls, with 42% admitting that they frequently dial in and contribute nothing. In addition,Wundamail’s survey indicates that video may be less effective at prompting people to act than other communication methods, with respondents being three times more likely to deliver on actions that have been agreed in writing than on video. More than one quarter (27%) cite ‘lack of follow-up’ as the biggest communication barrier for virtual teams, with 30% admitting to not delivering on actions agreed over a video call. In these respects, video meetings have many of the same frustrations and shortcomings as the face-to-face meetings they have replaced. For the long-term So, is our appetite for video meetings going to be a flash in the pan or a more durable phenomenon? Despite the concerns highlighted above, Starleaf CEO Mark Richer believes there are good reasons why video meetings are here to stay and will become part of the new normal once the COVID-19 pandemic is over, including pressure on businesses to cut costs. “The financial impact of coronavirus is undeniable, and we believe many organisations will need to deploy cost cutting measures. Physical office space will be one area under consideration, with many businesses potentially downsizing their workspaces or looking for flexible office space rather than long-term leases, made possible by greater numbers of staff being able to work remotely.We also can’t ignore the psychological impact of coronavirus. The idea of commuting back into busy hubs such as London will be a daunting prospect for many employees. Employers will need to be sensitive to this issue and offer greater flexibility to those who feel they need it,” he said. Richer added: “We are also likely to see a change in attitudes towards areas such as recruitment. Historically, the ability to employ the best people has been restricted by geographical location. With more remote and flexible working practices, organisations will be able to think more broadly about who they employ and not be restricted by where that person is based. “One final consideration is the positive impact coronavirus has had on environmental sustainability. It’s a high priority for leaders in most organisations, and many will look at how coronavirus has improved their environmental impact and will want to build on this.We can expect to see more organisations re-evaluating their travel needs, opting to keep the more viable, environmentally friendly alternatives such as video meetings.” These reasons aside, it is hard to imagine the millions of workers who have learnt to love the flexibility, informality and intimacy of video meetings in the last couple of months going back to more rigid communication channels after lockdown. Ashley Friedlein