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Privacy Settings Evolution
Comparison of default transaction visibility for new Venmo users.
Primary Sources
Venmo privacy finally being fixed eight years after 'alarming' fails
Problems with Venmo privacy were first highlighted way back in 2018. A security researcher demonstrated how the API could be used to obtain an alarming amount of personal data about users of the digital cash app. A related vulnerability was still in place in 2024 when it was used to highlight potentially embarrassing information about JD Vance. A new report says that the company is very belatedly fixing the problem … The problem has been that both Venmo transactions and the messages which accompany them have been public by default, along with your contacts in the app. A security researcher who analyzed more than 200 million transactions gave five illustrative stories about the embarrassing level of information revealed. This included the transactions of a cannabis dealer, and a couple seemingly living a soap-opera relationship. “Please leave me alone,” said the woman, who Do Thi Duc refers to as Susana. “I just love you. I’m sad that you don’t understand,” replies the man. In a later exchange, he says: “It’s pretty damn clear that you were using me all along. Took me a while to figure that out.” The next morning, he’s repentant. “I’m sorry. I take everything I said back.” Venmo did later offer the opportunity to keep your contacts private, but this still wasn’t set as the default. That saw the issue hit the news again in 2024 when it revealed a contradiction between JD Vance’s claimed scorn for the elite with his own extensive network of contacts. [His] public Venmo account gives an unfiltered glimpse into his extensive network of connections with establishment GOP heavyweights, wealthy financiers, technology executives, the prestige press, and fellow graduates of Yale Law School—precisely the elites he rails against. Venmo privacy finally being fixed Parent company PayPal claimed at the time that this was a feature rather than a bug, and declined to fix it. However, the company finally seems to have had a change of heart, telling The Verge that it is changing the default privacy settings. Venmo is starting to test a big redesign of its app, and as part of the changes, it will be implementing a major new privacy measure: the onboarding process for new users will set their posts to only be viewable by their friends by default instead of being public. The default setting will be friends, but you can change it to “just me.” It’s still not clear whether or not contacts will be publicly viewable by default. The piece says that the new app will roll...
Venmo Still Isn't Taking Privacy Seriously - Business Insider
Venmo is doing a redesign, but it isn't fixing a huge privacy issue. Venmo 2026-05-12T18:40:56.761Z Venmo has always been a privacy dumpster fire. Finally, it's changing privacy settings so new users' transactions will be set to be seen by "friends only." But your contacts are still public by default — which is a nightmare. Call me a grouch, but I find it really hard to make any compelling argument for why anyone needs to see a feed of their friends' activity on Venmo. Is it really so interesting seeing that your friend paid someone for pizza?Venmo's new redesign adds features that lean into that supposed social element. Transactions in your payments feed get larger images and even animated GIFs.I really wish Venmo would focus more on what users deserve — privacy by default! — instead of more emojis.The newest update finally does something Venmo should have done at least a decade ago: It makes the default setting for transactions "visible to friends only" instead of "public" for new users when they sign up for the app. Keep in mind that it isn't even really private — the default isn't set to "only me."When I put my concerns to Venmo, the company said the new settings give people more choice."Venmo customers have full control over what they share and who can see their activity, and the new app experience enhances how customers can manage their privacy settings," Erin Mackey, a spokesperson for Venmo, told Business Insider. "New users will also default to 'friends only,' reflecting what we heard from customers. Whether they prefer to share publicly, with friends, or keep their activity private, privacy settings are easy to find and update at any time."When Venmo first launched, having a social element seemed like a fun gimmick, a playful and cute relic of the early 2010s when adding a social layer to everything was a big trend. But in 2026, I have no idea why any reasonable person would want anyone — even friends — to view their financial transactions.All your contacts are still public by default when you sign upThat's not even my biggest gripe. Venmo isn't making a change for its new users that I think it absolutely should: making friends lists private by default.Keep in mind there's no such thing as a "private" Venmo account — people can generally find your account if they have your name or phone number. (Although new users won't have transactions public to strangers by default anymore.) But there's another way that people can find you: by searching ...
Is Venmo available in Europe? Alternatives for 2026
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How to Fix Venmo Added Card Not Showing Up (Easy Fix)
How to Fix Venmo Added Card Not Showing Up (Easy Fix) Solution Company 2.43K subscribers Subscribed
