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Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon faced backlash for erasing messages amidst the Covid pandemic. The Scottish government has made the decision to discontinue using WhatsApp and other unofficial messaging platforms for governmental purposes on their mobile devices. This move comes after findings from the UK Covid Inquiry showed that officials and ministers had deleted WhatsApp messages exchanged during the height of the pandemic. The government had previously announced its intention to stop using WhatsApp and other non-official messaging apps by the spring of the current year.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes stated that this decision would enhance “openness and transparency” within the government. However, the Scottish Conservatives expressed skepticism, asserting that the public would not be fooled into believing that one overdue gesture signifies a shift in the government’s culture. Opposition MSPs have characterized the new policy as a “clear admission” by the government that deleting messages during the pandemic was a mistake. The policy has now been implemented, with certain emergency and security teams scheduled to phase out the app by the year’s end.
In light of revelations during the UK Covid Inquiry, top civil servants and government officials, including Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, were found to have deleted WhatsApp messages pertaining to official business when requested by the inquiry team. Nevertheless, they insisted that any pertinent information was documented in the corporate record, and only informal messages were erased. Other ministers, such as Kate Forbes, affirmed that they retained their WhatsApp messages. Subsequent to these developments, Sturgeon’s successor Humza Yousaf commissioned a review of mobile messaging procedures, undertaken by Emma Martins, the former Channel Islands data protection commissioner. The review concluded that there was insufficient evidence of consistent and widespread understanding and application of policies regarding mobile messaging apps.
The Scottish government’s current policy on mobile messaging apps mandates that all relevant information connected to decisions must be recorded in the corporate record. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes acknowledged that the increased use of mobile messaging apps during the pandemic necessitated a reevaluation of working practices. She emphasized the importance of utilizing corporate-approved apps like Teams and email, discouraging the use of personal phones for official business. Additionally, she reiterated the government’s commitment to upholding secure and searchable data in compliance with record management regulations. Scottish Conservative MSP Craig Hoy criticized the SNP government for the mass deletion of Covid-related WhatsApp messages, pointing out that affected families were deprived of answers regarding decisions made by SNP ministers during the pandemic
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