The UK's data regulator has criticized the government's use of private messaging channels such as WhatsApp for official business during the pandemic.
Following a year-long review of the practice withn the Department of Health and Social Care , the Information Commissioner’s Office says it's resulted in important information being lost or insecurely handled.
Examples of this included some protectively marked information being located in non-corporate or private accounts outside DHSC’s official systems. This, says the ICO, brings real risks to transparency and accountability. "I understand the value of instant communication that something like WhatsApp can bring, particularly during the pandemic where officials were forced to make quick decisions and work to meet varying demands. However, the price of using these methods, although not against the law, must not result in a lack of transparency and inadequate data security," says information commissioner John Edwards.
"Public officials should be able to show their workings, for both record-keeping purposes and to maintain public confidence. That is how trust in those decisions is secured and lessons are learnt for the future."concluded that the use of private correspondence channels predated the pandemic, and was aidespread across the rest of government.
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