Venmo has added new privateness controls for good friend lists following a jaw-dropping incident the place BuzzFeed News was capable of track down President Joe Biden’s Venmo account due to the app’s leaky privateness protocols. App researcher Jane Manchun Wong found earlier on Friday that Venmo was engaged on the brand new controls.

“We’re consistently evolving and strengthening the Venmo platform for all of our customers. As part of these ongoing efforts, we are enhancing our in-app controls providing customers an option to select a public, friends-only, or private setting for their friends list,” a Venmo spokesperson mentioned in an announcement to The Verge.

To discover the brand new controls, faucet the hamburger icon whereas on the principle feed, then faucet “Settings,” “Privacy,” after which “Friends List.” The Friends List menu appeared for me and one other Verge staffer whereas I used to be writing this text, so if it hasn’t rolled out to you simply but, sit tight.

In the brand new menu, you possibly can decide in order for you your mates listing to be public, seen to pals, or non-public. You also can toggle whether or not or not you need to seem in others customers’ pals listing.

The new toggles repair a significant privateness gap in Venmo that has been recognized for years: there beforehand was no technique to preserve your listing of Venmo contacts non-public, that means that you can see the contact listing of every other person on the platform. The gap was unhealthy sufficient that following a quick point out of Biden utilizing Venmo in a latest New York Times profile, BuzzFeed News was capable of observe down the president’s account in lower than 10 minutes. The publication additionally discovered the accounts for a lot of in his internal circle.

While you’re in your privateness settings, I’d additionally suggest setting your Venmo feed to private.

Correction: Clarified that Venmo’s earlier good friend settings included a privateness flaw, not a safety flaw.