Commissioner's statement following the independent review of the Scottish Government's use of mobile messaging tools

On Tuesday 17 December the Scottish Government published the report following former Channel Islands data protection commissioner Emma Martins' independent review of the Scottish Government's use of mobile messaging apps and non-corporate technology. 

Ms Martins' report contains twenty recommendations, including:

• The introduction of a new policy for mobile messaging apps to ensure all government communication is conducted in a managed environment.
• The updating of various processing and procedures, including to the Scottish Ministerial Code and Civil Service Code, along with the Scottish Government's Business Continuity Plan, social media policy and hybrid-working policy. 
• The updating of staff and Ministers on the duty to provide evidence to Inquiries and associated records management and conduct issues. 
• Further training and guidance for Ministers and officials. 

In its response to the report, the Scottish Government has announced that it will prevent the use of mobile messaging apps on official devices from Spring 2025. 

Responding to the report, Scottish Information Commissioner David Hamilton, who is currently conducting his own intervention to support improvements in Scottish Government communications and records, said:

"I welcome Emma Martins' report, and congratulate her on a wide-ranging review which puts behaviours and culture at its heart. Her review complements much of my own office's thinking and approach to our ongoing intervention. 

"I note, however, that the Scottish Government's plans to remove WhatsApp from corporate devices won't be enforceable on personal devices. I would remind everyone that any public authority information, wherever it is held, will be subject to Scotland's FOI laws."