Opinion
Every month more than three billion people around the world use WhatsApp. When Meta acquired the messaging company back in 2014, it had 400 million users. It’s been steadily gaining users ever since.
It’s not hard to see why. Almost every extended family has a WhatsApp group to share photos and updates easily, many schools use it to update parents and students, and it’s now even infiltrated workplaces to communicate informally and organise large groups.
One survey in the 2026 State of Secure Collaboration found that 42 per cent of organisations now use consumer messaging apps like WhatsApp and Signal for work purposes. And yes, being able to keep numerous people updated at once can be incredibly convenient, but it’s also filled with lots of hidden dangers if you don’t know what you’re doing.
I’m part of several extremely useful WhatsApp groups that keep small and large communities up to speed on topics they care about, all through the convenience of my phone on an app that I already use to look at photos of my Aunt Jenny’s latest jams.
Many senior executives, board directors, management teams and employee groups have established groups like this to share information easily without the usual formality of email or longer communication. But if you’re going to do this, then there are four potential pitfalls that you need be aware of.
It’s still one of the most convenient tools available, but you do need to pause – even for just a few seconds – before instinctively typing a response.
Messaging apps blur boundaries
The first is that messaging apps blur the already blurred boundaries that exist in modern workplaces. We carry our phones everywhere we go, which means our connection to our jobs never switches off. It doesn’t matter if you’re lying on the couch at 9pm, barracking from the sideline of your kid’s soccer game or stumbling through an early morning workout, messaging apps mean you are only ever a notification away from thinking about your job. This can easily contravene right-to-disconnect laws when abused.
Room for miscommunication
The second is that, by its very nature, WhatsApp communication is short and casual, leaving so much room for miscommunication. Trying to interpret what a colleague meant when they hearted a link that was shared, or if everyone in the group really needs to be across every volleyed comment, can get messy. Add to this the ability to see “read receipts” of who has or hasn’t read every reply and it makes office politics even more complicated.
Too many ways to communicate
The third pitfall is that we are already drowning in ways to communicate, yet ironically we’re not doing any of them well. We can now phone, text, email, video-call, instant message, tag, voice note, assign, private message, alert or WhatsApp a colleague whenever we need to connect with them. Receiving a WhatsApp message can also give off a false sense of urgency.
What you say can be used in legal cases
The final danger, however, is the most important. Despite what it feels like, WhatsApp communication is subject to the same legal requirements of any other forms of communication. This means every single word you write can – and will – be used in legal cases when needed.
There have been countless examples of WhatsApp messages casually written by workers that got them into big legal trouble. You might think a message is innocent enough, or that firing back a quick response without thinking can’t do much damage, but every WhatsApp message is still an official form of communication.
I’m not saying that you should delete the app right now and never use WhatsApp at work. It’s still one of the most convenient tools available, but you do need to pause – even for just a few seconds – before instinctively typing a response. Every message you send contains potentially hidden dangers, and you should be across them all.
Tim Duggan’s new book, Clear in Tension: How to get better at conflict, is out now from www.clearintension.com.au.
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Tim Duggan is an author, founder and optimist. He co-founded Junkee Media, is the Chair of the Digital Publishers Alliance and writes the monthly newsletter, OUTLET (One Useful Thing Literally Every Time).From our partners
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