USAID has updated the policy to allow the use of Signal, Telegram under some circumstances

The U.S. Agency for International Development quietly updated its policy last year to allow its employees to use third-party messaging platforms, including Signal and Telegram, to communicate with the government under certain circumstances, according to a document obtained by FedScoop.

The agency did not provide specific reasoning behind the decision to allow the use of these messaging platforms, which were previously erect some fear throughout Washington when used for official government business — and only said it regularly updates the technology policy in line with the law and changes in requirements and legislation. Unlike many federal agencies, USAID has missions around the world—and its staff are often exposed to dangerous and complex local dynamics overseas, where leveraging these platforms can be useful.

Public version agency operational policywhich is called the Automated Directive System (ADS) shows that the document was updated more than a year ago to resolve third-party messaging applications. Highlighted in yellow, the new language appears to clarify that employees are allowed to use personal and so-called “approved informal” electronic messaging systems as long as they communicate with partners who do not use other platforms. Employees are also allowed to use these platforms if their use “significantly improves” interactions, such as communicating during emergencies or coordinating logistics.

According to Freedom of Information Act requirements, employees must send official notices within 20 days. However, they are not required to share this information if it relates to “routine logistics activities that do not provide evidence of significant Agency activity and/or the value of which to the Agency is minimal and of a particularly short-term nature,” according to the ANNOUNCEMENT.

The document also states that employees may use these platforms in certain emergency situations, including threats to personal safety or natural disasters, but warns that “any use of exceptional circumstances must be temporary in nature and cease when exceptional circumstances no longer exist. » Employees are prohibited from using non-governmental platforms to transmit information that is believed to be non-governmental Not available to foreigners (NOFORN).

Changes to the document became apparent to FedScoop upon receipt a general notice of “approved unofficial systems” by querying public archives.

Allowing Signal to be used under certain circumstances raises some FOIA compliance questions, given that the platform has a feature that permanently deletes messages after a certain waiting period. A USAID representative did not respond to specific questions about how the agency maintains records or whether there are specific rules about whether senior agency officials can use the messaging app.

Alexander Howard, a digital government expert who writes for the independent publication Civic Texts, said agencies can archive Signal messages as long as federal workers “follow their ethical obligations to perpetuate public affairs if they are conducted in that channel.” Still, he said he’s unclear how agencies enforce the policy.

The communication staff of the National Archives and Documents Administration, who pointed to an FAQ on the subject, told FedScoop in a statement that the agency “provides records management guidance to agencies on how to manage electronic communications. NARA’s requirements apply regardless of the instrument used to send or receive the electronic message.”

“The Federal Records Act requires that employees must send ‘a complete copy of the record to the officer’s or employee’s official electronic communications account no later than 20 days after the original record was created or transmitted,'” NARA continued. “Typically, agencies advise employees to either take a screenshot of the message and forward it to their official accounts, or use the export feature in the app if available. NARA has a website with more information about manage email and messages.”

Meanwhile, Signal says it doesn’t store messages or much information about users themselves.

“Because everything in Signal is end-to-end encrypted by default, a wide range of personal information that is usually easily obtained in other applications simply does not exist on Signal’s servers,” the site said in an August blog post explains the company’s website. “Again, Signal does not have access to your messages; your calls; your chat list; your files and attachments; your stories; your groups; your contacts; your stickers; your profile name or avatar; your reactions; or even the animated GIFs you’re looking for — and there’s no way to transfer any data we didn’t have access to in the first place.”

Previous USAID document dated September 2022, which describes the rules for third-party applications and text messages, stated that the agency does not encourage the use of text messages for agency work and noted that employees are required to log their messages in USAID’s accounting system. The document also “banned” the use of personal email accounts, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber and SnapChat for agency business.

On the second page of this document, WhatsApp, personal email, text messages and Signal are listed as unauthorized platforms. However, the document states that “in limited exceptional circumstances, temporary use of unofficial EM systems may be necessary”, although employees are required to forward messages.