> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.europeans.today/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # REVEALED: Dominic Raab did use WhatsApp for official business, but Government didn’t retain a copy of his messages - URL: https://www.europeans.today/2023/01/30/dominic-raab-did-use-whatsapp-for-official-business-but-government-didnt-retain-a-copy-of-his-messages/ - Published: 2023-01-30T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2023-06-18T01:03:53.000Z - Description: For 17 months, the FCDO refused to answer our questions regarding Dominic Raab’s WhatsApp use. But, following an intervention from the ICO, they’ve finally come clean. - Author: Good Law Project - Tags: Investigation, Justice, Dominic Raab, Freedom of Information (FOI), Good Law Project, Hackers, United Kingdom, UK Politics, UK Government, UK Foreign Office, WhatsApp ### For 17 months, the FCDO refused to answer our questions regarding Dominic Raab’s WhatsApp use. But, following an intervention from the ICO, they’ve finally come clean. The *Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office* (FCDO) has finally admitted that former Secretary of State Dominic Raab did use *WhatsApp* to conduct important *‘official’* business and also, crucially, that they no longer hold a copy of any of these messages. This means that *WhatsApp* messages sent and received by Dominic Raab during his two-year ministerial stint between 2019 and 2021 may never be available for public scrutiny – with potentially serious implications for government accountability and transparency. For 17 months, the *FCDO* refused to answer our questions regarding Raab’s *WhatsApp* use, claiming disclosure could impact the department’s ability to prevent or detect crime. However, following an intervention from the *ICO*, the UK’s information watchdog, they’ve changed their position and finally come clean. The full response to our freedom of information request can be read [here](#1). Ministers were [warned](#2) 2 years ago that their personal phones and emails were vulnerable to hackers and were issued with a *‘Security of Government Business policy’* – explicitly banning the use of private accounts: 🧾 *“Your personal IT will not be as secure as departmental IT. You should not use your personal devices, email and communications applications for government business at any classification.”* The *Cabinet Office* has now issued guidance that permits the limited use of *WhatsApp* – despite the concerns raised. In [October 2022,](#3) it was revealed that Liz Truss – Raab’s successor as the UK’s Foreign Secretary – had her private messages with officials hacked because she was using her personal phone. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/15/40/1540bec0-7154-4feb-b8e1-97f579155b08/content/images/2023/01/www-00239.jpg) ###### Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab during a break at the United Nations. | [CREDIT: FLICKR/NUMBER 10](https://www.flickr.com/photos/number10gov/51151116809/?ref=europeans.today) In response to our *Freedom of Information* request, the *FCDO* said the department *“followed both Cabinet Office and FCDO guidance on what business can be conducted on WhatsApp”*, but because the messages were lost, we may never know what was discussed by Mr Raab. An official spokesperson for Dominic Raab said: *“The Deputy Prime Minister has always followed official advice and security guidance on his government communications.”* ![PMP Magazine](https://storage.ghost.io/c/15/40/1540bec0-7154-4feb-b8e1-97f579155b08/content/images/2021/09/end-flat-1.png "PMP Magazine") ### **GOING FURTHER:** *- [Freedom Of Information Request (full response)](https://glplive.org/1301-raab-foi?ref=europeans.today)* *- [Boris Johnson and three Ministers breached national security guidance over private messages](https://goodlawproject.org/update/boris-johnson-breached-security-guidance/?ref=europeans.today) | Good Law Project* *- [Liz Truss phone hack claim prompts calls for investigation](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-63442813?ref=europeans.today) | BBC News* --- ### ⚖️ *GoodLawProjectonly exists thanks to donations from people across the UK. If you’re ina position to support their work, you can do so [here](https://glplive.org/dd-cev-2701?ref=europeans.today).* --- ##### Sources ▪ **Text:* This piece was originally published in [GoodLawProject](https://goodlawproject.org/revealed-dominic-raab-did-use-whatsapp-for-official-business-but-government-didnt-retain-a-copy-of-his-messages/?ref=europeans.today) and re-published in PMP Magazine on 30 January 2023, with the authors’ consent. | The authors write in a personal capacity.* *▪ *Cover:* Flickr/[Number 10](https://www.flickr.com/photos/number10gov/51151439210?ref=europeans.today). - Dominic Raab. (Licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/?ref=europeans.today).)* ![Creative Commons License](https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-sa/4.0/88x31.png "Cover photograph license")