Now SNP-led council staff try to watch Netflix and porn while using work computers

By GEORGIA EDKINS, SCOTTISH ASSOCIATE EDITOR FOR DAILY MAIL AND THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

Published: 18:47 BST, 24 May 2025 | Updated: 18:52 BST, 24 May 2025

An SNP-led council has become embroiled in the Netflix and porn scandal, as The Mail can reveal that workers tried to access inappropriate sites using their taxpayer-funded devices.

Staff at Glasgow City Council, some of whom continue to work from home for at least some of the week, have attempted to stream their favourite TV shows on Netflix on 63 occasions in the past year.

Workers also tried to click through to the X-rated Pornhub website 17 times, with the same number of attempts made to get onto gambling websites.

Although most of the attempts were blocked by the council’s in-built safety firewall, five click-throughs to betting sites were successful.

A spokesman for the local authority said that some staff may have been working on a gambling harms project at the time of the successful web entries.

However, the shock figures come as a number of public sector staff continue to work from home some days of the week, with one local authority admitting that some are logging on from the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria and Germany.

It also follows revelations in The Mail last week that Scottish Government civil servants had also been accessing inappropriate material at work.

Scottish Conservative Glasgow MSP Annie Wells said: ‘Glaswegians who have been hit with huge hikes in their council tax will be appalled that council employees have been trying to access dodgy websites and Netflix on their time.

Council staff tried to click through to the X-rated Pornhub website 17 times while at work

The SNP council has become embroiled in the Netflix and porn scandal exposed by The Mail 

‘We know that this behaviour has occurred within the SNP government, and this culture is clearly prevalent within SNP-run Glasgow City Council too.

‘Hard-pressed taxpayers expect employees to be focused on fixing the city’s pothole-ridden roads, emptying bins, and supporting our schools.

‘Instead, there have been multiple occasions of them trying to view dodgy content, place a bet or watch their favourite new shows. 

‘This might only be a select number of staff who thought this was appropriate, but SNP bosses at the City Chambers must guarantee all staff will be working on what matters to Glasgow at all times.’

Figures obtained under freedom of information laws show that there were 63 attempts to access Netflix on Glasgow City Council devices between May 14, 2024, and May 13 this year.

Every attempt was blocked by a firewall, the council insists.

The Mail last week revealed Scottish Government staff had also attempted to access inappropriate websites on their work devices

Scottish Tory MSP Annie Wells said Glaswegians would be appalled by the revelations

In the past year, there were also 17 attempts to access pornography on Glasgow City Council devices, but every attempt was again blocked by firewalls.

Over the same period there were 17 attempts to access gambling websites, with five of those being successful.

The statistics, obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, follow a public backlash over the number of civil servants and local authority staff still working from home, despite the Covid pandemic ending in 2022.

Some workers only need to attend their office one day a week while council staff have been allowed to work from far-flung locations including Japan, India and Australia.

A spokesman for the council said: ‘The council has clear policies on acceptable use of IT equipment and access to some sites and services are restricted or blocked.

‘The council has thousands of staff that use a PC, phone or other internet-enabled device and these figures reflect a very small number of incidents.’

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Now SNP-led council staff try to watch Netflix and porn while using work computers

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