Mayor Zohran Mamdani's City Hall is coordinating with more than 200 social media influencers through the encrypted messaging app Signal, a tool built with a disappearing-message feature that has watchdogs and at least one attorney pushing for a formal city investigation into whether public records are being properly preserved.
The chat, called “NYC Creators Announcements,” is used to send daily talking points, video clips and updates about City Hall initiatives to creators, according to NBC New York. The network traces its roots to “Creators4Zohran,” a volunteer-led group that organized digital support during Mamdani's 2025 mayoral campaign, according to the Columbia Journalism Review, which found the campaign's digital operation was carried directly into official governance after the election.
Per the same account, the Signal chat now includes more than 200 creators, ranging from micro-influencers with around 5,000 followers to accounts with millions. Creators seeking access reportedly fill out an intake form listing their neighborhood and policy interests, which City Hall uses to target event invitations, neighborhood canvasses and exclusive interview opportunities, the outlet's reporting shows.
Who's Running the Chat, and What It Costs
The channel is managed by Emilia Rowland, Director of New Media and Cultural Communications in the mayor's office, who earns an annual municipal salary of $175,000, according to the New York Post. Rowland works under City Communications Director Anna Bhar, the Post reports.
While participants in the Signal chat are not paid directly for taking part, city agencies separately pay creators between $5,000 and $20,000 per campaign to promote initiatives such as composting, tenant rights and public budgeting, funneled through contracted advertising agencies, per the Columbia Journalism Review's reporting. A review of active municipal records cited by the New York Post found the city's Department of Social Services spent more than $100,000 in 2026 on a social media campaign under a three-year advertising contract originally executed in 2025, under the prior administration.
Records Concerns Take Center Stage
The use of Signal has raised concerns about preserving communications under city records and Freedom of Information laws, since the app includes a disappearing-message feature. Attorney Jim Walden has called for a Department of Investigation probe that would examine both whether Signal use complied with record retention rules and whether city resources were used to operate the influencer network.
Citizens Union Executive Director Grace Rauh cautioned that official municipal business must be conducted in preserved, public channels to comply with the state's Freedom of Information Law, according to Matzav.com. Electronic communications concerning official decisions or public business can raise public-record concerns, while auto-deletion features raise preservation risks, according to IntraDyn. FOIL applies to existing agency records.
A Familiar Fight Over Encrypted Apps at City Hall
This isn't the first time City Hall's use of encrypted, auto-deleting apps has drawn scrutiny. In March 2020, seven good-government groups led by Reinvent Albany formally petitioned then-Mayor Bill de Blasio to ban Signal and similar apps for city business after reports that city staff had been using Signal. And federal court filings from May 2025 related to Adams-era investigations were also made public.
Mamdani, questioned about his administration's reported use of Signal, said his administration would comply with all legal record-keeping requirements and investigate any potential violations. He said his team would look into any departures from legally required practices immediately and take corrective action.
The creator network fits into a broader pattern of the Mamdani administration leaning on social platforms to reach residents directly. In March, the mayor authorized city agencies to resume using TikTok for official communications, reversing a 2023 citywide ban while restricting account access to preapproved staff on government-issued devices, a shift Hoodline detailed in its report on TikTok's return to city devices. Whether the Signal creator chat draws a similar level of formal review remains an open question as calls for a Department of Investigation probe continue to build.
