9NEWS: The Denver mayor’s office is facing scrutiny over its use of Signal, an encrypted messaging app with auto-delete capabilities, raising questions about transparency in government communications.

According to a spokesperson for Mayor Mike Johnston, the mayor’s office employees have been using Signal on personal phones in recent weeks, as the app is not authorized to be used on city-owned phones. The Mayor’s office has now instructed staff to disable the app’s auto-delete feature, which could potentially circumvent open records laws.

“Under the open records law, it does not matter whether a message concerning public business is sent or received using a personal device or a city-issued device,” Jeff Roberts, director of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, said.

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