Government Reviews Disappearing Messages on WhatsApp for Ministers

A senior government official stated that the use of disappearing messages on WhatsApp by ministers is being reviewed. The deputy prime minister said he has used the feature. The comments follow reports that some messages were missing from the Mandelson files because of the disappearing-messages setting.

The review will examine how disappearing messages affect record-keeping requirements. Officials have not announced a timeline for completing the assessment. No changes to current practices have been ordered while the review proceeds.