Natwest blocks staff using WhatsApp, Facebook and Skype on work devices

The UK banking group said it wants its employees to stick to 'approved channels' for work-related communication

NatWest is blocking messaging apps including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype on company devices.

The banking giant said it wants to ensure employees keep work communications strictly on "approved channels". A NatWest spokesman said: "Like many organisations, we only permit the use of approved channels for communicating about business matters, whether internally or externally."

Approved communication channels, which include email and text, have retrievable records which the company can draw upon if it needs to scrutinise messages or it suspects any wrongdoing.

But with unapproved apps, like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, retrieving messages can be more difficult. Some of the largest banks in the US have faced fines from the country’s financial regulator over concerns that staff were using unofficial communication channels which avoid oversight.

JP Morgan agreed to pay a $125m US (£98m) fine in 2021 to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) after admitting that its employees often communicated about business matters through personal devices, such as text and WhatsApp.

UK banks have faced scrutiny for some time, and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has not yet taken enforcement against firms.

Harvey Knight, a partner in the UK financial services regulatory team at law firm Withers, said: "It is just a matter of time before the FCA follows the SEC’s lead and fines UK banks and bankers for using communication channels to send business messages that cannot be recovered easily."

"It is no surprise that a leading UK bank such as NatWest is taking pre-emptive action to stop such potential business record-keeping issues being made their liability by their UK regulators."