Venmo privacy redesign changes the default of post visibility

Default settings for new Venmo users will limit posts’ visibility to friends only.

Mobile payment service Venmo is testing a redesign of its app that introduces a new privacy measure. Now, new users’ posts will only be visible to their friends, rather than being public by default, the Verge reports.

New users who want their posts to be visible to everyone or only to them will have to change the settings during the onboarding flow or at any time later.

In addition, an updated screen for sending money will display the transaction’s privacy status before it’s sent, informing the sender whether it is private, visible only to friends, or publicly visible.

The redesign will come in stages, starting with a new look for the feed that will be introduced gradually on iOS and Android over the coming weeks.

In addition, Venmo will introduce three new “surfaces” in the app. The “Send” feature will allow users to see their closest friends, as well as features like groups and scheduled payments.

In the “Money” section, users can manage things like crypto and their expenses. Meanwhile, the “Rewards” surface will provide offers and track cash back from Venmo’s rewards program.

Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Mozilla have previously urged Venmo to change its privacy settings, arguing that public-by-default transactions can reveal sensitive user data.

In 2021, BuzzFeed News tracked down President Joe Biden’s Venmo account and the accounts of people in his inner circle due to Venmo's public-by-default transactions.

Venmo, owned by financial technology company PayPal, has around 90 million users in the United States.

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