Privacy concern: displaying emails
We got this feedback from a user today: "I've just noticed that when I click on anyone's name, their email address pops up. I'm not happy about this, as it's bad from a privacy point of view. I don't want my email address visible to anyone who looks.
Please at least give us the option to hide our email addresses in the settings."
Personally I agree that this is a valid privacy concern. However, there is a pragmatic reasoning behind displaying emails: it's useful a) when you want to direct-message someone, and b) when you want to invite an existing user to a new group.
I imagine this won't be an issue in the future: case a) will be fixed when we have an internal messaging system in place and case b) will be fixed when we implement Trello-style usernames.
What should we do in the meantime to patch the privacy hole without creating a UX regression? Is the user's suggestion (add a 'hide email' setting) workable?
Members choose if their email will be hidden or public listed.
proposal by Chris Taklis Closed Sat 31 Aug 2013 10:42PM
Passed. We wait now from developers to make it real.
To be an option on users settings, and each member choose if his/her email will be public listed or hidden on membership list of the group he/she is member.
Results
| Results | Option | Votes | % of votes cast | % of eligible voters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | 9 | 100 | 3 |       | |
| Abstain | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Disagree | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Block | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Undecided | 267 | 97 |                |
9 of 276 votes cast (3% participation)
Joshua Vial
Thu 22 Aug 2013 4:10PM
this should be a priority fix
zackFri 23 Aug 2013 9:46PM
yes, with priority
Robert GuthrieFri 30 Aug 2013 1:46AM
Thanks for bringing this up.
Danyl StrypeFri 30 Aug 2013 5:58AM
privacy is good! Also, some people may use one email address for Loomio, but prefer to receive emails from group members at a different address.
Chris TaklisSat 15 Feb 2014 3:59PM
any progress of this???
We (a coalition of Direct Democracy in Greece and Pirates) want to use a loomio for a project for our prefectures. And it is big problem now, because everyone will have access to others email.
That privacy concerns everyone. If the project succeeds, we are talking about maybe thousand members, and that is a huge database of email who everyone can use it as he/she wants, and not always for good purpose.
We want at least the option to groups to hide the email so no one can see it... (or can see it only the coordinators).
Richard D. BartlettSun 16 Feb 2014 4:44AM
I'm going to prioritise it @christaklis.
Chris TaklisSun 16 Feb 2014 7:00AM
thanks Richard.
Richard D. BartlettSun 16 Feb 2014 10:13PM
Just like that! @christaklis emails are not shown on user profiles now. Thanks to the quick surgery of @robertguthrie!
If you are a group coordinator, you can see the emails of your group members on the Members page.
Chris TaklisMon 17 Feb 2014 6:46AM
excellent... and very quick...
thanks!
Chris Taklis ·Thu 22 Aug 2013 11:19AM
that is a big problem to some members privacy.
I suggest to be an option to each member can hide if he/she wish his/her email from public list of memberships.