Privacy Settings
Understanding and managing privacy settings is crucial for protecting your community's sensitive information and ensuring appropriate access control. This guide covers all privacy options available for Communities of Practice.
Community Visibility Types
Integrate Pasifika offers three levels of community privacy to meet different needs and security requirements:
Public Communities
Open and discoverable
Who Can See
Listed in community directory, visible to all platform users
Who Can Join
Anyone can request membership
Content Access
All content requires membership to view
Best For
Broad topics, open collaboration, maximum discoverability
Private Communities
Invitation only
Who Can See
Not listed publicly, only visible to members
Who Can Join
Invitation-based membership only
Content Access
Members only, completely private
Best For
Specific groups, sensitive topics, controlled membership
Secret Communities
Completely hidden
Who Can See
Invisible to non-members, not discoverable
Who Can Join
Direct invitation only, no public requests
Content Access
Maximum privacy, members only
Best For
Confidential work, sensitive research, exclusive groups
Access Control System
All Communities of Practice enforce strict membership requirements for content access, regardless of visibility type:
Strict Access Control
Security feature implemented across all community types
What This Means
Even public communities require membership to view any content, discussions, or resources
Protected Content
All discussions, resources, events, member lists, and community tools
Public Information
Only community name, description, and basic overview are visible to non-members
Benefits
Protects sensitive information, ensures quality discussions, prevents spam
Choosing the Right Privacy Level
Select the privacy level that best fits your community's needs and content sensitivity:
Choose Public When
- • Topic has broad appeal and relevance
- • You want maximum discoverability
- • Content is not sensitive or confidential
- • You welcome diverse perspectives
- • Goal is to build a large community
- • Discussions are open and inclusive
Choose Private When
- • Working with specific organizations
- • Content requires professional expertise
- • You want to control membership quality
- • Discussions may be sensitive
- • Limited capacity or resources
- • Focused on particular stakeholder groups
Choose Secret When
- • Handling confidential information
- • Working on sensitive research
- • Limited to specific individuals
- • Content could be misused if public
- • Regulatory or compliance requirements
- • Exclusive professional networks
Considerations for All Types
- • All content requires membership to access
- • Membership approval process applies
- • Community guidelines must be followed
- • Platform moderation policies apply
- • Analytics and engagement tracking available
- • Can be changed later if needed
Managing Privacy Settings
Community owners can adjust privacy settings as their community evolves:
Privacy Management Options
Changing Visibility Type
Access community settings to change from public to private or secret (and vice versa)
Membership Approval
Toggle between auto-approval and manual review of membership requests
Guest Access
Allow limited access for non-members to view certain content
Content Visibility
Control which resources and discussions are visible to different member types
Member Privacy Controls
Individual members also have privacy controls for their personal information:
- • Profile Visibility - Control who can see your profile information
- • Contact Information - Choose what contact details are visible to other members
- • Activity Status - Control whether others can see when you're online
- • Search Visibility - Choose whether you appear in member searches
- • Notification Preferences - Manage email and platform notifications
- • Data Sharing - Control how your data is used for analytics and recommendations
Data Protection and Security
Integrate Pasifika implements multiple layers of security to protect your community's privacy:
Technical Security
- • End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
- • Secure authentication and authorization
- • Regular security audits and updates
- • Protected data storage and transmission
- • Access logging and monitoring
- • Backup and disaster recovery systems
Privacy Compliance
- • GDPR-compliant data handling
- • User consent management
- • Data retention policies
- • Right to data deletion
- • Transparent privacy policies
- • Regular privacy impact assessments
Best Practices for Privacy
Follow these guidelines to maintain appropriate privacy levels:
Privacy Best Practices
For Community Owners
- • Choose appropriate privacy level for your content
- • Regularly review membership and remove inactive members
- • Set clear guidelines about what can be shared externally
- • Monitor content for privacy violations
- • Educate members about privacy expectations
For Community Members
- • Respect community privacy settings
- • Don't share private content outside the community
- • Be mindful of what you post and share
- • Report privacy violations to community owners
- • Keep your own profile information up to date
Important Privacy Reminders
- • All community content requires membership to access, regardless of privacy level
- • Privacy settings can be changed at any time by community owners
- • Members should respect the privacy level chosen by community owners
- • Report any privacy concerns to community owners or platform support
- • Remember that even private content may be subject to legal requirements
Getting Help with Privacy
If you have questions about privacy settings or need assistance with privacy-related issues, contact our support team at [email protected]. We can help you choose the right privacy level for your community and address any privacy concerns.