The Cabinet Office has launched a formal review of “non-corporate communications channels” in government, with the aim of introducing “greater clarity” on how officials and ministers use messaging platforms like WhatsApp and personal emails for work.
Decision-making conducted outside of formal government channels has been an issue of concern for well over a decade, although the Covid-19 Inquiry showed the extent to which channels such as WhatsApp were being widely used.
Two years ago, members of parliament’s Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee called on ministers to ban the use of WhatsApp on official devices, unless “appropriate” transparency measures could be introduced.
Today, the Cabinet Office said chief secretary to the prime minister Darren Jones has appointed Prof Sir Anthony Finkelstein as independent reviewer of the use of non-corporate communications channels – NCCCs for short – in government.
Finkelstein served as chief scientific adviser on national security from 2015-21 and is currently president of City St George’s, University of London. He is also the brother of former Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs permanent secretary Dame Tamara Finkelstein and Danny Finkelstein, the journalist and Conservative peer.
The Cabinet Office said Finkelstein’s review will “examine the human, organisational, legal and technical factors involved when officials, advisers and ministers use non-corporate communication channels for work”.
In particular, the review will seek to “define” NCCCs in the context of government business; cover the use of disappearing messages and similar auto-deletion features; and identify security risks related to NCCCs.
It will also make “practical and actionable recommendations” on NCCCs to improve government’s record-keeping.
The Cabinet Office said ministers are committed to maintaining the highest standards of information security, transparency, propriety, and record-keeping. It said such standards are “essential” to ensure public trust in how decisions are made.
“In recent years, the way we all communicate has changed considerably, including across the public sector,” the Cabinet Office said. “The government recognises there is a need for greater clarity over the use of non-corporate communication channels for government business to remain secure and for decisions to be recorded appropriately.
“It is important that we strike the right balance between transparency and accountability alongside operational efficiency and information security.”
According to the review's terms of reference, the exercise will look at “patterns of use, misuse and abuse, at all levels”; crisis communications; record-creation, retention, deletion and disclosure; the quality of guidance and training; and threats posed to the security and integrity of government communications, including “interception or device compromise by hostile actors”as well as risks arising from the jurisdiction in which platform data is held.
The review will also examine ways to reduce the chances of data loss and leaks through the use of NCCCs and at how to preserve the “legitimate operational benefits” of fast communications at the same time as managing risks.
The review is due to report in early 2027, with its findings to be made public.