This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Use of WhatsApp'.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Information Access Team 
 
Communications Directorate 
Abdul Hai 
020 3461 4878 
Via email: request-1095504-
020 3461 5460 
xxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx 
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx 
 
 
 
18 March 2024 
 
 
 
 
 
Please quote ref. CAS-004328 
 
on all correspondence 
 
Dear Abdul Hai 
 
Thank you for your email of 2 March to the Bank of England (the Bank), in which you ask 
for access to the following information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA): 
 
‘What is your policy in regards to retaining and deleting of messages using the 
WhatsApp platform? 
 
Do officers dealing with FOI and GDPR have access to those messages if so can 
you provide a copy of the policy? 
 
Can you give me a copy of the last review of this policy?’
 
 
The Bank sets out its principles of staff conduct and key policies in Our Code, 
which is available to view on the Bank’s website. In the section on social media 
under ‘Being open and accountable’ it says: 
 
‘Do not conduct Bank business through your personal social media 
accounts or their associated communication services (eg WhatsApp, 
Facebook Messenger and FaceTime).’ 

 
Given that the Bank’s policy is not to conduct business through WhatsApp, we do 
not hold any information in scope of your request. 
 
I hope you have found this response helpful. 
 
Yours sincerely  
 
P.A.Gibbons 
Information Access Team 
 
 
 
 
Bank of England | Threadneedle Street, London EC2R 8AH 
+44 (0)20 3461 4444 | www.bankofengland.co.uk  
 
 

 

 
 
Your right to complain under FOIA 
 
If you are unhappy with our decision, you can request an internal review. To do so, please email your 
concerns to xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx.xx.xx or post to Bank of England, Threadneedle Street, 
London EC2R 8AH within two months of the date of this response. 
 
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have a right of appeal to the Information 
Commissioner. You can submit complaints to the Information Commissioner via their website at FOI and 
EIR complaints | ICO 
 
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When you contact the Bank, we collect certain information about you in order to satisfy our legal obligation 
to respond to your FOIA request. For full details on what we collect and how we process that information 
in relation to your request, please see the FOIA privacy notice here: Freedom of Information | Bank of 
England.
 
 
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