Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper rejects a proposal from former Labour leader Harriet Harman to ban disappearing messages, according to reports on Tuesday. Harman had argued for restrictions on so-called disappearing messages, which automatically remove chat content after a set time, raising concerns about transparency and record-keeping.
Cooper responds that the issue needs to be understood in context. She says that many people—including herself—use WhatsApp’s auto-delete features for some exchanges, implying the setting can be part of everyday messaging rather than a deliberate effort to conceal information. Cooper’s comments also suggest she does not support blanket restrictions that would remove the feature for users.
While the reports focus on Cooper’s refusal to adopt Harman’s approach, they describe a broader political dispute over how governments should regulate communications technology and whether safety or accountability concerns justify a ban on disappearing messages. The coverage reflects disagreement within UK Labour politics about the potential impact and scope of any such measure.
