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Scottish Government Ending Use of WhatsApp After Covid Inquiry Criticism

  • The Scottish Government ended the use of WhatsApp and similar messaging apps on government devices on Friday following criticism from the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.
  • The decision came after the inquiry found that government ministers and senior officials, among them Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney, had erased WhatsApp messages that were sought for investigation.
  • Kate Forbes, Deputy First Minister, outlined a new policy requiring all Scottish Government personnel to use officially approved communication platforms, following a review of past remote working practices.
  • Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservative MSP, described the move as the closest the SNP would come to apologizing for the large-scale removal of Covid-related WhatsApp messages, which he attributed to actions led by Swinney and Sturgeon.
  • A few government departments will continue to use these apps on a temporary basis through 2025 as part of efforts to enhance openness, transparency, and secure management of data.
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Scottish Government ending use of WhatsApp after Covid inquiry criticism

The new policy came into effect on Friday.

·London, United Kingdom
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The Scotsman broke the news in Scotland, United Kingdom on Friday, June 20, 2025.
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