This revelation comes as part of a wider issue, with 70 Scottish government officials having their pandemic-related communications deleted. As a result, these messages cannot be provided to UK or Scottish Covid inquiries that are examining the handling of the pandemic.
Sturgeon's spokesperson stated that she is cooperating with both inquiries. Other officials, including First Minister Humza Yousaf and former Deputy First Minister John Swinney, also reportedly have missing WhatsApp data. The situation raises questions about the timing and extent of message deletion during the pandemic.