Scottish ministers to end WhatsApp use for official business

The Scottish Government will ban the use of WhatsApp and other mobile messaging apps for official business, it has been announced.

Making a statement to parliament on Tuesday, deputy first minister Kate Forbes confirmed such apps would be removed from government devices from spring next year.

It follows a review of the government’s use of such technology which was launched after questions were raised about the retention and deletion of WhatsApp messages during the Covid pandemic.

Opposition parties have questioned whether the change will be enough to prevent such issues happening again.

The review, led by former Channel Islands data commissioner Emma Martins, made 20 recommendations on improving the government’s use of new communication technologies, saying “governance needs to be effective”.

Forbes said: “The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of mobile messaging apps.

“Ms Martins’ timely review sets out some of the most challenging issues facing all governments. Work has already started to implement recommendations, and we will build on that work to ensure that data management, especially in relation to new technologies, is as robust as possible in order to continue to deliver efficient and effective public services.”

Former first minister Humza Yousaf commissioned the review after concerns were raised about the government failing to retain information sent via WhatsApp and other informal channels during the Covid pandemic.

The Covid inquiry had to make repeated requests for such information and it was revealed earlier this year that former first minister Nicola Sturgeon “had retained no messages whatsoever in connection with her management of the pandemic”.

Repeated references to the deletion of messages by civil servants also surfaced.

Yousaf at the time admitted the row over deleted WhatsApp messages had “not been the government’s finest hour”, but said the government was committed to transparency.

Sandesh Gulhane MSP, the Scottish Conservative health spokesperson, said: “It is astonishing that Kate Forbes says her party value openness and transparency after the nationalists spent the pandemic deleting WhatsApp messages on an industrial scale. The deputy first minister couldn’t even bring herself to admit today in announcing this new policy that deleting those messages was morally wrong.

“There are also serious questions to answer as to why MSPs were asked to scrutinise the SNP without having any prior sight of this major report, which has been with the government for many weeks.

“Given this ban still won’t come into force until spring next year, Scots will be wondering why it is not coming into force immediately, now the SNP know they were clearly in the wrong.”

And Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the move would not “offer closure or answers to the families of the Covid bereaved”.

He added: “What confidence she can offer parliament that a simple change in platform for messaging would prevent such a deception from ever happening again?”