96% Of Britons Oppose Government Use Of Disappearing WhatsApp Messages, Poll Finds

An overwhelming 96% of Britons believe government officials should not be allowed to use disappearing messages for their work, according to new polling shared with HuffPost UK.

The findings highlight widespread public opposition to the use of messaging features that automatically delete conversations, particularly when they involve government business and official decisions.

WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram offer optional disappearing message functions, allowing users to set messages to be automatically deleted after a specified period, ranging from 24 hours to 90 days.

The research, conducted by Opinium and commissioned by LeapXpert, found that only 4% of respondents believe government officials should be free to communicate through messages that are automatically erased.

Britons Demand Greater Transparency Over Government WhatsApp Messages

Although there was broad agreement that government communications should be retained, respondents had different views on exactly what information should be preserved.

Some 44% said all work-related communications should be kept, while 19% believed only official messages relating to government business should be retained.

A further 12% said the requirement should apply only to communications concerning significant policy decisions.

Concerns about disappearing messages also extended to public confidence in government. Almost two-thirds of those surveyed (63%) said they would have less trust in the government if officials regularly relied on disappearing messages for work.

Opposition was also evident when respondents were asked specifically about ministers. A total of 53% said they were against ministers using disappearing messages for government business, compared with just 10% who supported the practice.

77% Want Government Communications Available For Public Scrutiny

The poll also found strong support for making government communications accessible to those responsible for investigating and reviewing official decisions.

Around 77% of respondents said government communications should be available for scrutiny by investigators, auditors and public inquiries.

Meanwhile, 66% supported the use of approved communication platforms by government officials and employees, with systems that automatically record and archive work-related messages.

Avi Pardo, co-founder and chief business officer at LeapXpert, said the findings reflected public expectations around accountability.

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“The public is sending a clear message: government communications cannot be allowed to disappear without accountability,” he said.

Pardo added that technology capable of retaining work-related conversations was already available.

“The technology to make this happen already exists. Organisations across financial services and government worldwide use governed messaging platforms that capture conversations in real time without restricting which channels their people use.

“There is no longer a technical barrier. The question is whether the political will exists to match what the public expects.”

Keir Starmer Faced Scrutiny Over Disappearing WhatsApp Messages

The debate over government messaging practices intensified earlier this year after several senior political figures, including former prime minister Keir Starmer, faced criticism over their use of disappearing WhatsApp messages.

The controversy followed increased scrutiny of the government's decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States, despite his known association with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

MPs voted to require the government to publish documents and communications relating to Mandelson. However, only a limited number of text messages from Starmer were made available.

At the time, Starmer said he had “complied” with the process by providing the “messages I hold”.

He also defended the use of disappearing messages, stating: “Many people, not just in politics, use disappearing messages.”

The issue of government record-keeping has also attracted criticism under the administrations of Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, with concerns raised about the lack of a clear audit trail for WhatsApp communications.

Government Reviews Use Of WhatsApp For Official Business

Current government guidance allows the use of disappearing messages, provided their use does not compromise record-keeping requirements or transparency.

However, the government has since launched a formal review into the use of non-corporate messaging channels for official business.

The review comes amid growing calls for clearer rules governing how ministers and civil servants communicate, retain records and make official correspondence available for scrutiny.

The latest polling suggests that the public overwhelmingly expects government communications to remain accessible, particularly when they concern decisions made in the course of public office.