Full Breakdown
Mayor Mamdani Administration Defies Signal Ban to Coordinate Influencer Outreach
By Drooid · · How we work
Background and Policy Directive
In January, the chief counsel of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Ramzi Kassem, issued a memorandum directing all City Hall employees not to use encrypted messaging platforms such as Signal or WhatsApp for official business. The memo emphasized that city communications must be preserved under New York’s records-keeping laws and instructed staff to contact the Office of the Chief Counsel with any questions. Early in the year, the administration conducted a training session to reinforce the new policy.
Data on Influencer Network
City-staff communications indicate that a group of roughly 200 social-media influencers was engaged by the mayor’s New Media and Cultural Communications office. Emilia Rowland, director of New Media and Cultural Communications, used Signal to exchange talking points, video clips, and event invitations with these creators. The messaging settings were configured to auto-delete, rendering the chats inaccessible to the public.
Official Statements & Responses
- Shawnta Smith-Cruz, commissioner of the Department of Records and Information Services, said the department discourages staff from creating “substantive” instant messages that cannot be archived.
- Tascha Van Auken, director of the mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement, told council members that her team does not use Signal, despite evidence that other staff members did.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- The chief counsel’s public statement that no policy bans Signal conflicts with the written memorandum that explicitly prohibits its use for work.
- The Department of Records’ guidance against “substantive” instant messages suggests a policy limitation, yet the administration’s training materials reportedly allowed continued use of Signal.
- No city officials directly responsible for the influencer outreach testified at the oversight hearing, leaving a gap in accountability.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Just so you know, it’s my understanding that that memo did go out to everybody, so it’s kind of strange that we’re all using Signal for communications,” — Councilwoman Gale Brewer