It has emerged Perth and Kinross councillors are blocked from using WhatsApp on their council-issued mobile phones.
This prevents councillors from joining several community WhatsApp groups where many local discussions take place.
A Carse of Gowrie councillor has called on Perth and Kinross Council to allow councillors elected this week access to the app when issued with their phones.
Conservative councillor Angus Forbes made the request as PKC met for the last time - on April 27 - before the local elections.
As councillors discussed a report on the planned induction arrangements, Cllr Forbes called for those elected to be allowed access to the online messaging app.
He said: "You'd be amazed how many small community groups run WhatsApp groups to manage their business and with our phones being blocked from WhatsApp it makes it difficult to participate in them.
"Given that Dundee Council I know - for sure - opened their phones up to WhatsApp and the Scottish Parliament do I don't see any security risks. Could the council open up the phones they give to new members to the WhatsApp service?"
PKC's head of legal and governance services Lisa Simpson told councillors: "The advice from our information security specialists is 'no'.
"Part of the problem is also the contract terms of WhatsApp. I'm not sure what the arrangements are for either the Scottish Government or any other authority.
"But for business use WhatsApp is not permitted and in terms of security for council business bearing in mind it should all be FOI-able. I do know that in some places where people do use WhatsApp for business communications then phones are occasionally handed in upon request if there's an FOI enquiry.
"But the advice we have from our information security specialists is it would not be appropriate for business use and there are other mechanisms - mainly Teams."
Following the meeting, Cllr Forbes told the Local Democracy Reporting Service having access to the app on his council phone would make life easier serving his ward.
He said: "A number of the community groups that I am involved in use WhatsApp as the primary means of communication because it's faster and easier than a long email chain with numerous participants.
"Because the council blocks the WhatsApp application from the phones that are issued to councillors, I am unable to participate in those discussions. Being allowed to do this would make it easier for us to serve our constituents better while at the same time being able to keep our council and personal lives separate."
A Dundee City Council spokesperson confirmed its councillors could use WhatsApp on their council phones and a Scottish Government spokesperson said: "If a Minister has a mobile phone provided via the Scottish Government business contract they are able to use WhatsApp."
