Social audio app Clubhouse this week launched a protected profile setting that offers users more control over who can access their personal information.
As the Clubhouse blog explains, the protected profile setting makes you generally less visible when using the service. Your name, username, bio, and linked social handles remain public, but your full profile—including rooms, clubs, and replays—appears only to folks you’ve approved as followers. Non-followers won’t know when you’re online, and the app will no longer recommend people you don’t know follow you.
“We’re grateful we’ve become a meeting place for people around the world to connect during this time,” the blog said, referencing the Russia-Ukraine war. “But we also know that times of conflict and upheaval make it increasingly important to be mindful of your presence online and what you share.”
Clubhouse has also worked with Witness, which helps people use video and technology to protect human rights, to formulate a list of tips to protect yourself when using social audio in times of conflict. Those tips include being cautious of what information is shared in online profiles and casual conversations; voluntarily disclosing details about your location, surroundings, and personal life may make you or a loved one more vulnerable.
