House Republicans call for investigation into EPA's use of encrypted chat apps

Just as quickly as government workers embraced encrypted messaging apps to discuss the Trump administration, they've come under fire for using them. On Tuesday, House Republicans Darin LaHood and Lamar Smith sent a letter to the EPA's independent watchdog asking for an investigation into the practice, as The Verge reported.

Why this matters: The letter cites recent reports, including one from Politico, about workers using encrypted apps like Signal to communicate. This practice might go against federal record-keeping policies, like the Freedom of Information Act, as the messages can't be obtained by outside parties.