New rules by the Cabinet Office state that government business must not be conducted on personal phones, or on WhatsApp, unless there are 'exceptional circumstances'
on their personal phones in a significant clampdown after the leak of tens of thousands of Matt Hancock’s messages.
The new rules from the Cabinet Office state the default must be to use government-assigned phones and sendingon personal devices to communicate government information should only be done in “exceptional circumstances”. Anyone who does use their own phones for “significant government business” must keep strict records that can be surrendered in the event of a Freedom of Information request and tell their departmental head and IT team.If significant or sensitive government business is conducted on personal devices, this must be transferred to official Whitehall systems.
Ministers and officials must not use the “disappearing message” option on their WhatsApp accounts if it means they cannot keep records of government business. When a minister or civil servant leaves a department, they have a responsibility to hand over all their WhatsApp history.
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