diff --git a/hypha/apply/api/v1/serializers.py b/hypha/apply/api/v1/serializers.py
index d80715f24634bbb2488ec8853292f5c568240d86..b366e8486aa2ecae0ba4d3d1f5cdc79f0f2bd8af 100644
--- a/hypha/apply/api/v1/serializers.py
+++ b/hypha/apply/api/v1/serializers.py
@@ -450,6 +450,7 @@ class CommentEditSerializer(CommentCreateSerializer):
     class Meta(CommentCreateSerializer.Meta):
         read_only_fields = (
             "timestamp",
+            "visibility",
             "edited",
         )
 
diff --git a/hypha/apply/api/v1/tests/test_views.py b/hypha/apply/api/v1/tests/test_views.py
index e5f8a2f24284daf1203ac50da0a226d22e4ebab3..53c2e0b2b0baa76b615b2d3f0687b630b5bb05cb 100644
--- a/hypha/apply/api/v1/tests/test_views.py
+++ b/hypha/apply/api/v1/tests/test_views.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ class TestCommentEdit(TestCase):
 
         self.assertEqual(Activity.objects.count(), 1)
 
-    def test_staff_can_change_visibility(self):
+    def test_staff_can_not_change_visibility(self):
         user = StaffFactory()
         comment = CommentFactory(user=user, visibility=APPLICANT)
         self.client.force_login(user)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class TestCommentEdit(TestCase):
         )
 
         self.assertEqual(response.status_code, 200, response.json())
-        self.assertEqual(response.json()["visibility"], ALL)
+        self.assertEqual(response.json()["visibility"], APPLICANT)
 
     def test_out_of_order_does_nothing(self):
         user = ApplicantFactory()  # any role assigned user
diff --git a/hypha/apply/api/v1/views.py b/hypha/apply/api/v1/views.py
index 84b090670443b72d97e5b770bc742a1eafc63ce4..af2929f35921c5a5d8dcd3fc6cb83a737f2207ac 100644
--- a/hypha/apply/api/v1/views.py
+++ b/hypha/apply/api/v1/views.py
@@ -384,9 +384,7 @@ class CommentViewSet(viewsets.GenericViewSet):
         serializer = self.get_serializer(comment_to_edit, data=request.data)
         serializer.is_valid(raise_exception=True)
 
-        if (serializer.validated_data["message"] != comment_to_update.message) or (
-            serializer.validated_data["visibility"] != comment_to_update.visibility
-        ):
+        if serializer.validated_data["message"] != comment_to_update.message:
             self.perform_create(serializer)
             comment_to_update.current = False
             comment_to_update.save()