When the feature first became popular, the promise of disappearing messages seemed simple. Send a message, and it disappears after a predetermined amount of time, leaving no digital trail behind. This approach is ideal for informal discussions. Organizations are finding that ephemeral messaging in business communications leads to unexpected complications.
Businesses from all sectors are closely examining how disappearing messages fit into their communication strategies as regulatory scrutiny increases and litigation risks rise.
The Allure of Disappearing Content
Ephemeral messaging gained popularity for good reasons. Storage expenses are decreased when messages are automatically erased. Privacy improves when sensitive conversations don’t last forever. Security risks are decreased when out-of-date login credentials and access data disappear rather than staying in archives and waiting to be discovered.
The informality that disappearing messages provide is valued by employees. A conversation feels more natural when you know it won’t last forever. Quick questions get quick answers without the formality that permanent records often encourage.
These advantages are still applicable for individual use. When business communications use the same channels and features intended for informal conversation, problems arise.
Pressure Mounts for Regulation
Financial services companies were the first to learn this lesson. Regulators mandate that business communications be kept on file for predetermined amounts of time. The company is unable to produce the records required by regulations when employees conduct business via channels that have disappearing messages enabled.
Organizations that are unable to demonstrate compliant record-keeping have been subject to heavy fines from the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory agencies. The perception that ephemeral features were purposefully employed to evade oversight is reflected in the penalties, in addition to the missing records.
HIPAA imposes similar requirements on healthcare organizations. Communications with clients must be preserved by legal firms. Government contractors are required to keep records. The list of sectors that must adhere to preservation regulations keeps expanding.
Organizations are required to provide discovery in court even if they are not subject to clear regulatory mandates. Courts may draw negative conclusions when pertinent communications are automatically erased and cannot be produced. The harm caused by the missing messages surpasses that of the messages themselves.
The WhatsApp Question
Whether companies intended for it or not, consumer messaging apps are now integrated into business processes. Employees use the same apps that they personally use to communicate with coworkers, customers, and vendors.
Organizations attempting to maintain compliance while taking employee preferences into account face unique challenges due to WhatsApp disappearing messages. Users appreciate the feature’s convenience and privacy benefits, but it directly conflicts with the retention requirements that many businesses must meet. Businesses must balance the advantages of increased productivity against the risks of noncompliance, which could lead to severe fines.
There is more to the problem than just one application. Similar features are available on Signal, Telegram, Snapchat, and many other platforms. Ephemeral options are being added by more applications as consumer expectations for privacy rise. Every new feature raises the possibility of a compliance gap that needs to be filled.
Policy Gaps Appear
Many companies found that their communication policies were out of step with the advancements in technology. Policies from a time when email was the primary means of business communication did not account for messaging apps with content that vanished. As employees embraced new tools more quickly than governance frameworks changed, the gap between policy and practice grew.
Some businesses tried to outright prohibit consumer messaging apps. These regulations made it more difficult to enforce them and drove communications underground. Workers kept using well-known tools, but they stopped being open about it.
In the hopes that unofficial channels would continue to receive less regulatory attention, other organizations chose to overlook the problem. That tactic was unsuccessful since enforcement actions showed that regulators were focusing on these very channels.
New Approaches
Companies are now coming up with more and more complicated plans that take into account both the needs of their employees and the law.
Enterprise communication platforms automatically apply retention policies in controlled environments. Moving business conversations to these platforms gives you compliance coverage without having to make big changes to how employees act.
Before deleting them, archiving solutions can save messages from consumer applications. Even if the application has temporary features turned on, these tools stop communications and keep them for as long as they are supposed to.
Mobile device management lets companies control which apps their employees can use for work. Policies can set different rules for personal and business use, rather than just banning both.
Employees who go through training programs are better able to tell which communications need to be kept and which channels are best for different types of conversations. Clear instructions help people avoid breaking compliance rules by accident.
Striking a Balance
The goal is not to get rid of ephemeral messaging entirely. There are times when it makes sense for content to go away. Permanent records may not be needed for informal coordination, brainstorming sessions, or early talks within the company.
The key is to make choices on purpose instead of just going with the flow to get compliance results. Organizations need policies that spell out which channels are okay for business use, which types of communication must be kept, and what to do when employees need to talk about work matters using consumer apps.
When it is feasible, technology should automatically enforce these rules. There are too many chances for mistakes when relying on staff judgment for every message. Consistent compliance is provided by systematic controls without the need for constant watchfulness.
The Future of Disappearing Messages
The use of ephemeral messaging in technology is not going away. Application development will continue to be driven by consumer demand for privacy features. Even more advanced disappearing content options will be available on new platforms.
As the environment changes, organizations that set up appropriate controls and clear policies now will be in a better position. As enforcement actions increase and regulatory expectations solidify, those who continue to ignore the issue will face increasing risk.
Many organizations are just now realizing the hidden costs associated with the ease of disappearing messages. Proactively addressing those expenses is preferable to learning about them after a lawsuit or regulatory fine.
