City Hall Under Fire for Disappearing Messages in Influencer Chat

City Hall is facing renewed scrutiny this weekend after Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration admitted to using disappearing messages in a private Signal group chat with social media influencers. The revelation, made public on Friday, has prompted what officials are calling ‘corrective action’ as concerns mount over transparency and record-keeping inside the mayor’s office.

At the center of the issue is a Signal chat that included City Hall staff and a rotating cast of local influencers, used to coordinate public messaging on everything from school safety to the upcoming November elections. According to City Hall’s chief counsel, the encrypted app’s disappearing message feature was enabled—contrary to official guidance that government communications should be preserved.

Late Friday afternoon, a spokesperson for the mayor’s legal team confirmed that staff had been directed to disable the ephemeral setting. ‘We expect all official communications to be accessible as part of the public record,’ the spokesperson told reporters gathered outside City Hall Park. The administration did not specify how many messages may have vanished, or over what timeframe.

The incident arrives as transparency advocates urge closer monitoring of how public officials use private messaging platforms. Just last week, the city’s Department of Investigation announced a review of digital communication protocols on the heels of unrelated record-keeping lapses at the Department of Education. For the Mamdani administration, the timing is awkward, with City Council hearings on open government scheduled for later this month.

On Saturday, crowds at Union Square voiced mixed reactions. ‘Everyone uses these apps, but the rules should be clear for City Hall,’ said Angelica Torres, a policy student at CUNY. For now, the mayor’s office insists corrective steps are underway—but watchdog groups are already calling for a full audit of digital communications across all city agencies.