Royal Navy: WhatsApp groups won't be banned despite “testosterone filled banter” and sexist bullying concerns

Admiral Sir Ben Key said private messaging groups will not be banned in the Royal Navy despite worries during a defence select committee meeting today (March 18). All three armed forces leaders were quizzed about what is being done to curtail sexist bullying and violence against women in the military.

The chair of the committee, Tanmanjeet Singh Dheshi, highlighted WhatsApp groups as a source of inappropriate behaviour and asked the First Sea Lord if there was a policy around them. The Labour politician said the committee received evidence in 2023 from a young woman who said “horrific commentary” on defence groups was commonplace; “inappropriate” images being sent via work messaging channels as well as “racist, sexist and discriminatory” language, and “a lot worse”.

“This could perhaps be the next big scandal to hit the Ministry of Defence if we’re not careful,” the Slough MP told the committee. “It only takes someone to leak some of the commentary, journalists to get to the bottom of it or for those groups to be hacked. What has been set in place to deal with WhatsApp groups.”

The First Sea Lord responded: “If information like this is brought to our attention that people are exhibiting unwelcome behaviours, thoughts or language, we will deal with it. We can only deal wit the evidence which is brought to us. I recognise you’ve had evidence brought to you that exists. I don’t deny for one moment that there will be people out there putting messages on WhatsApp groups that would make us all feel extremely uncomfortable. We’re completely clear that when that has an impact on others, we will take action if it’s brought to our attention. This is not a tolerance of these sorts of behaviours.”

He added that training sessions across all the units look into how people’s behaviours can have an unintended impact on people, and “hold a mirror” up to show what may have been acceptable before joining the service no longer is.

When asked if there was a policy around such channels, Sir Ben Key said: “We expect people in the chain of command to call it out when they come across it. It can have an impact, even if for everyone else in that WhatsApp group it would considered acceptable, otherwise they would have said something about it themselves. I don’t think we can set a policy which says you cannot have WhatsApp groups.”

Audible murmurs could be heard in the parliamentary chamber after the First Sea Lord’s response. Mr Singh Dheshi said there has to be proactive policies to make sure that something is being done to make sure that serious “testosterone filled banter” is not happening. The head of the Royal Navy said complaints can be made through chain of command, the main email box, the My Navy App and other channels - all under a centralised system which analyses the best way to investigate any concerns of violence, sexual harassment and bullying against women.

Alistair Carns, minister for veterans and people, said there is mandatory training in a communication and education programme across all the armed forces, which sets out appropriate standards - including in WhatsApp groups. “We have to be honest, we can’t eradicate all of this behaviour,” he added. “We’re trying to reduce it as best as possible but we can’t rule it out completely. There is every chance that stuff will come up, but when it does, we will treat it with the absolute severity it requires.”

The Royal Navy previously investigated rampant misogyny and harassment in the submarine service following claims made by former lieutenant Sophie Brook. The First Sea Lord issued an apology after it was found there was a “constant campaign of sexual bullying”.