It has emerged Perth and Kinross councillors are blocked from utilizing WhatsApp on their council-issued celltelephones.
This prevents councillors from becoming a member of a number of group WhatsApp teams the place many native discussions happen.
A Carse of Gowrie councillor has known as on Perth and Kinross Council to permit councillors elected this week entry to the app when issued with their telephones.
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes made the request as PKC met for the final time - on April 27 - earlier than the native elections.
As councillors mentioned a report on the deliberate induction preparations, Cllr Forbes known as for these elected to be allowed entry to the net messaging app.
He mentioned: "You would be amazed what number of small group teams run WhatsApp teams to handle their enterprise and with our telephones being blocked from WhatsApp it makes it troublesome to take part in them.
"On condition that Dundee Council I do know - for positive - opened their telephones as much as WhatsApp and the Scottish Parliament do I do not see any safety dangers. Might the council open up the telephones they provide to new members to the WhatsApp service?"
PKC's head of authorized and governance providers Lisa Simpson informed councillors: "The recommendation from our info safety specialists is 'no'.
"A part of the issue can be the contract phrases of WhatsApp. I am unsure what the preparations are for both the Scottish Authorities or some other authority.
"However for enterprise use WhatsApp will not be permitted and when it comes to safety for council enterprise taking into account it ought to all be FOI-able. I do know that in some locations the place individuals do use WhatsApp for enterprise communications then telephones are sometimes handed in upon request if there's an FOI enquiry.
"However the recommendation now we have from our info safety specialists is it will not be acceptable for enterprise use and there are different mechanisms - primarily Groups."
Following the assembly, Cllr Forbes informed the Native Democracy Reporting Service getting access to the app on his council cellphone would make life simpler serving his ward.
He mentioned: "Quite a lot of the group teams that I'm concerned in use WhatsApp as the first technique of communication as a result of it is sooner and simpler than a protracted e-mail chain with quite a few individuals.
"As a result of the council blocks the WhatsApp software from the telephones which are issued to councillors, I'm unable to take part in these discussions. Being allowed to do that would make it simpler for us to serve our constituents higher whereas on the similar time with the ability to hold our council and private lives separate."
A Dundee Metropolis Council spokesperson confirmed its councillors might use WhatsApp on their council telephones and a Scottish Authorities spokesperson mentioned: "If a Minister has a cell phone supplied through the Scottish Authorities enterprise contract they can use WhatsApp."