# Add Option to Disable User-User Chat

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-option-to-disable-user-user-chat/228046
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** chat
**Created:** [May 25, 2022, 6:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-option-to-disable-user-user-chat/228046 "2022-05-25T06:48:52Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 37

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### Author: ![martin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/martin/32/491371_2.png) [@martin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/martin)
#### Post date: [October 10, 2022, 5:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/add-option-to-disable-user-user-chat/228046/37 "2022-10-10T05:10:23Z")

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I’ve recently merged the below pull requests, which introduce a `direct_message_enabled_groups` setting, similar to `personal_message_enabled_groups`, which controls who is allowed to initiate a direct message conversation. This defaults to the Trust Level 1 automatic group, and staff (admin and moderators) can always send direct messages no matter what.

It’s important to note that this controls creation of direct message channels, but if for example this is set to only allow Trust Level 4 users to create a direct message channel, any users involved in the new channel will be able to respond to the message and chat back and forth in the new channel. For example:

- `direct_message_enabled_groups` is set to `3|14`, which are the staff + TL4 automatic groups
- User `jmcgill` is TL1, and cannot create new direct message channels, nor can he see the personal chat section in the [new sidebar](https://meta.discourse.org/t/try-out-the-new-sidebar-and-notification-menus/238821)
- User `kwexler` is TL4, and she creates a direct message channel with `jmcgill`
- The sidebar personal chat section will now show for `jmcgill`, and he can send messages to `kwexler` in their channel, but `jmcgill` cannot create new direct message channels

Here are the relevant commits:

- [FEATURE: Use direct\_message\_enabled\_groups for DM access (#1209) · discourse/discourse-chat@77b1a03 · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-chat/commit/77b1a039e5dccc26eaeb0f469a34295e5ea2de9a)
- [FIX: direct\_message\_enabled\_groups refinements (#1285) · discourse/discourse-chat@5440c48 · GitHub](https://github.com/discourse/discourse-chat/commit/5440c48d31f4d419c2f2b430841be7297cfa6360)

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