The Scottish government is ending the use of WhatsApp and other "non-corporate" messaging services for government business on its mobile devices. The move comes after the UK Covid Inquiry revealed officials and ministers had deleted WhatsApp messages exchanged during the pandemic. The government hadpreviously committed to ending its use of WhatsAppand other non-official messaging applications by spring of this year. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the move would increase "openness and transparency" in government - but the Scottish Conservatives said the public "would not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture." But opposition MSPs have said the new policy is a "clear admission" from the government that it was wrong to delete messages from during the pandemic. The policy has now come into affect but some emergency and security teams will continue to phase out the app by the end of the year. As part of the UK Covid Inquiry, it emerged top civil servants and government ministers, including Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, deleted WhatsApp messages referring to government business which had been requested by the inquiry team. However, they said any "salient" points were recorded on the corporate record and only informal messages were deleted. Other Scottish government ministers - including Forbes, who served as finance secretary during the pandemic - said they had retained their WhatsApp messages. Sturgeon's successor Humza Yousaf ordered a review of mobile messaging which was carried out by Emma Martins - the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. The report found there was "little to evidence a consistent and widespread knowledge, understanding, or application" of mobile messaging apps, "including rules around retention, exportation, and deletion". The Scottish government's policy on mobile messaging applications states that any material relevant to decisions has to be recorded on the corporate record. Kate Forbes previously said government figures had acted in line with that policy, but that they had "reflected" on the policy in hindsight. "The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances," she said. "Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of such apps." The deputy first minister said the policy will apply to all Scottish government employees, including contractors, senior civil servants, special advisers and ministers. She said ministers and staff should use corporate-approved apps, such as Teams and email, and personal phones should not be used for official business. Forbes said the government prioritised keeping "secure and searchable data" in line with record management rules. She added: "We will continue to act to ensure our data policies are robust, especially considering technological advances." Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy said: "This is as close as we'll get to an apology from the SNP for the shameful, industrial-scale deletion of Covid WhatsApp messages which was orchestrated by John Swinney and Nicola Sturgeon. "This change in policy is all well and good but the horse has already bolted for bereaved families who were denied the answers they deserved over the decisions taken by SNP ministers during the pandemic. "Secrecy and evasion are hardwired into this SNP government, so the Scottish people will not be duped into thinking one overdue concession marks a change in culture." The UK government was also criticised over its record-keeping, with former Scottish Secretary Alister Jack telling the inquiry he had deleted all of his messages to create memory space on his phone. The Scottish Information Commissioner, who oversees freedom of information laws, also launched a review into how officials and ministers use and retain informal communications. The watchdog said the UK Covid inquiry had raised "significant practice concerns" over how ministers used messaging services such as WhatsApp.
Scottish government to remove WhatsApp from phones
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"Scottish Government Ends Use of WhatsApp for Official Communications"
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TruthLens AI Summary
The Scottish government has officially decided to discontinue the use of WhatsApp and other non-corporate messaging applications for governmental communications on mobile devices. This decision comes in the wake of revelations from the UK Covid Inquiry, which highlighted that several officials and ministers had deleted WhatsApp messages pertinent to government business during the pandemic. Previously, the Scottish government had vowed to eliminate the use of such messaging apps by spring of this year, and the Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes, emphasized that this policy aims to enhance 'openness and transparency' within government operations. However, this move has faced criticism from opposition parties, particularly the Scottish Conservatives, who argue that the change is merely superficial and does not signify a genuine cultural shift within the government. They contend that this policy change is a belated acknowledgment of past mistakes, particularly regarding the deletion of messages that should have been retained for public inquiry and accountability purposes.
The new policy is now in effect, though certain emergency and security teams will gradually phase out the app by the end of the year. The inquiry revealed that high-ranking officials, including former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and former Deputy First Minister John Swinney, had deleted key messages that were requested by the inquiry team. While some ministers, like Forbes, claim to have kept their messages intact, the inquiry's findings prompted a review of mobile messaging practices within the Scottish government. This review, commissioned by Sturgeon’s successor, Humza Yousaf, indicated a lack of consistent understanding and application of rules regarding the retention and deletion of messages. Consequently, the Scottish government's updated policy mandates that all relevant communications must be documented officially, and only approved corporate apps should be utilized for government business. Deputy First Minister Forbes reiterated the commitment to maintaining 'secure and searchable data' and ensuring robust data policies, especially in light of evolving technology. However, the Scottish Conservatives remain skeptical, suggesting that this policy change is insufficient for addressing the transparency concerns raised during the pandemic.
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