The secret Venmo account of US President Joe Biden was reportedly recently discovered, leading to some national security concerns. Discovering a Venmo user's network has always been fairly easy, assuming their transactions are set to public and enough time is spent by those willing to do some digging. The platform's recent integration with other social media networks further complicates how users can protect their identity on Venmo and other apps.
Venmo was launched in 2009 with the aim of helping users split bills and share money with friends. Since then, it has integrated with other social media platforms and apps like Lyft. However, the app was always meant for more casual purposes and could even connect people based on their contacts. The public nature of those contacts and user transactions — unless turned off — makes it possible to piece together information about certain individuals. Last year, for example, a dedicated fan discovered the eventual winner of The Bachelor by following a trail through Venmo. While figuring out a reality show winner can be a fun experiment, the most recent Venmo experiment is a lot more serious.
Using the same deductive reasoning, BuzzFeed News uncovered President Biden's Venmo account. The discovery unearthed the accounts of "nearly a dozen Biden family members" and friends surrounding the family. The White House has since plugged the issue and deleted the accounts involved, including the President's. BuzzFeed has not published details of the accounts involved to protect national security. A Venmo spokesperson reiterated the option for users to adjust their privacy settings and said that the firm is "consistently evolving and strengthening" its privacy measures.
Are Other Venmo Users Safe?
Discovering Biden's account is a matter of national security. Though the president's transactions were fortunately kept private, knowing his social network can shed light on other sources of information that malicious parties can exploit. The president certainly has the security to protect his own accounts and those of his immediate family. However, if someone knew the individuals that he has dealt with, it could make for easier pickings for information gatherers.
Of course, national security is one thing, but the privacy of private individuals is another thing. Most users don't enjoy the same level of security as the president of the United States. Hackers and stalkers can easily obtain information about individuals. The platform shows a user's network of friends and cash transfers by default, and anyone can search for users on the platform, so it's important that users consider what their privacy settings should be. The issue is increasingly pressing as more popular networks like Twitter are planning to use Venmo soon.
Source: BuzzFeed News