UK government clears ministers to use self-deleting messages

14/06/2021 | The Guardian

Fears grow over transparency and accountability as the government confirms Ministers and civil servants are allowed to set messages to delete instantly. There are concerns that self-destructing messages are being used to avoid scrutiny over decision-making, including the government’s coronavirus response. A letter from DCMS, in response to an FOI request and seen by the Guardian, says: “Instant messaging (through Google Workspace) may be used in preference to email for routine communications where there is no need to retain a record of the communication.  In related news, theCanary reports that Labour is calling for an investigation into whether Michael Gove has broken the ministerial code after FOI revelations.   Meanwhile, Politico reports that a data breach at the Department of International Trade has revealed how the ministry triages FOI requests in apparent breach of rules. 

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