Signal, Influencers, and City Records | New York City News

Mayor Mamdani’s team is sparking controversy by using Signal to privately coordinate with 200 online influencers—many with millions of followers—who helped him win office. While the city denies paying them directly for posts, some do receive campaign-related compensation. The real firestorm? Signal’s auto-delete feature, which could erase messages before they’re archived—contradicting city rules requiring long-term retention of official communications. Though legal counsel says there’s no outright ban on Signal, the Department of Records insists encrypted apps with self-destructing messages need special approval, and it’s unclear if that was granted. This isn’t the first time government used Signal—but coordinating with a massive group of external influencers raises serious questions about transparency and accountability in public governance. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f541377a468061b2