Slack (Salesforce): Surveillance Profile

Minimizing data collection in Slack is particularly challenging because most privacy controls are managed by workspace administrators rather than individual users. Start by reviewing what data your workspace retains by checking with your administrator about the workspace's message retention policy. In your personal settings, go to Preferences > Notifications and minimize notification types to reduce engagement tracking. Under Profile & Account, minimize the personal information in your profile. Do not connect third-party apps to Slack unless necessary, as each integration creates new data sharing pathways. Review connected apps regularly under Settings > Manage Apps. Be aware that on paid Slack plans, workspace owners can export all messages including DMs using the Compliance API. On free plans, only public channel messages can be exported, but Slack still retains all data on its servers. Avoid sharing sensitive files through Slack as they are stored indefinitely unless the workspace has a deletion policy. Use Slack's retention settings if you have admin access to auto-delete messages after a set period. Do not use Slack Connect to communicate with external organizations as this creates additional data sharing between workspaces. For private conversations, take them outside Slack to an end-to-end encrypted platform like Signal. In your device settings, review Slack's permissions for camera, microphone, and photos. Use Slack in a browser with privacy extensions rather than the desktop app when possible, as the desktop app has deeper system access. To opt out of AI training, workspace administrators must contact Slack to disable the data sharing. If you are an administrator, enable Enterprise Key Management (EKM) to control encryption keys. For a privacy-focused alternative, consider Element (Matrix), which offers end-to-end encrypted messaging and can be self-hosted, giving your organization complete control over communication data.