We read with interest ‘‘Johnston et al.’s’’ article regarding the use of an instant messaging service (WhatsApp) to improve communication within the surgical team. As demonstrated by the authors, application of an instant messaging platform in everyday clinical practice provides an efficient and economical alternative to the traditional pager system. Furthermore, it helps to break down previously held hierarchical barriers between junior and senior members of the team. We support this innovation. However, important governance issues remain, which future investigators and industry must consider before exploring this innovation further in the context of clinical practice. When a message is sent from a device via an instant messaging service, the data are sent to commercial servers via the Internet, where from recipient devices retrieve messages (Fig. 1). These servers may reside outside of the user’s home country, depending on the nature of service