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POL.COR.18.10
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Social Media Policy
Policy
POL.COR.18.10
Social Media Policy
Policy Type:
Corporate Policy (Approved by Council)
Date Approved: December 17, 2018
Department:
Administration
Staff Report:
FAF.18.155
By-Law No.:
2018-69
Policy Statement
The Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains (The Blue Mountains or Town) encourages
the use of online social media tools where the tool is part of a disciplined and thoughtful
communications strategy designed to reach its target audience being residents, agencies and
stakeholders, the business community, and visitors.
This policy reflects The Blue Mountains' interest and willingness to initiate appropriate social
media opportunities with the goal of building strong relationships with key audiences and
enhancing The Blue Mountains' brand with residents, agencies and stakeholders, the business
community, and visitors.
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to set guidelines applicable to the creation, use and maintenance
of social media communications tools, and outline social media governance. Further, this policy
establishes criteria which outlines the acceptable guidelines for the personal and professional
use of social media as it pertains to The Blue Mountains.
This policy is required to ensure that:
- The use of social media tools does not compromise public safety or The Blue Mountains'
image;
- The information provided through social media aligns with The Blue Mountains' vision
and guiding principles;
- Social media content does not violate individual privacy or conflict with existing
municipal policies and by-laws or other regulations as applicable; and,
- Social media content posted on behalf of the municipality is as accurate, accessible,
transparent and accountable as possible.
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Social Media Policy
The primary goals of the Town's use of social media are as follows:
- Increase awareness of municipal services;
- Augment existing corporate communication methods and processes;
- Provide an additional mechanism through which the Town keeps abreast of customer
comments and perceptions regarding the Town;
- Disseminate time-sensitive information quickly;
- Provide communication through the use of social media's cost-effective tools;
- Correct misinformation, remedy mistakes, or alter services to build stronger
relationships;
- Develop citizens' trust;
- Utilize social media's analytical tools to monitor, track and evaluate the Town's
communications and marketing efforts;
- Provide another method by which stakeholders can engage with the Town; and,
- Utilize social media as an additional way to collaborate with the public and other
municipalities on mutually beneficial programs and initiatives.
Application
This policy applies to all Town employees who are authorized to post to the Town's various
social media accounts. This policy also applies to individuals contracted by The Blue Mountains
in a 'purchased services' arrangement who may be using social media sites on behalf of the
Town. This policy applies to usage during and outside regular hours of work.
This policy applies to all Town employees who have and maintain personal social media
accounts.
Definitions
Corporate Social Media Accounts means any social media networks bearing official corporate
branding and identified as representing the Town of The Blue Mountains.
MFIPPA means the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Personal Social Media Accounts means any social media networks created and maintained by
individual employees or elected officials, which can be identified as such through personal
profile pictures, bios (which mention Corporate affiliation) or implicit association (i.e. an
employee who is known to the public, but does not have his/her Town affiliation noted on
profile).
Political Content means comments or posts made by politicians, supporters or otherwise, for
the purpose of political gain.
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Social Media Policy
Social Media means third-party, online communication channels in which the objective is to
publicly share information and create dynamic interaction between two parties (ie, the Town
and a citizen) including, but not limited to: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and
YouTube.
Social Media Content Approver means the Chief Administrative Officer or designate.
Social Media Moderators are employees of the Town of The Blue Mountains who have been
appointed to speak on behalf of the Town by updating content on the Town's social media sites
and pages. Moderators include, the Town's Economic Development and Communications
Coordinator or designate, and members of the Website Committee (through the use of a
software that allow for draft posts for approval by the Town's Economic Development and
Communications Coordinator or designate).
User means a visitor to a Town social media site.
Procedures
General Guidelines for Use
The Blue Mountains' municipal website (www.thebluemountains.ca) will remain the
predominant internet presence for in-depth service information, news updates, forms, and
documents. All social media sites used will supplement the website by providing interactive,
two-way communication, and will direct visitors back to the appropriate webpage. The various
social media accounts managed by The Blue Mountains will be administrated by one of the
identified Social Media Moderators. In the case of department-specific content, the
Department Head is responsible for ensuring clarity, accuracy and relevance of posted content
on the social media channels.
Departments wishing to create new social media sites on behalf of the Town require approval
from the Social Media Approver, specifically the Chief Administrative Officer or designate,
before establishing a social media presence on behalf of the Town of The Blue Mountains.
Accounts must be set up using an official, town-provided email address. Personal email
addresses are not permitted in the set-up of corporate social media accounts, with the
exception of Facebook, in which case there will be multiple account owners.
Any login and passwords for the Town's social media sites are considered confidential
information and will be stored under the supervision of the Information Technology Division.
Where possible, the Information Technology Division will be provided administrator access to
each social media site.
The Town may promote events on its website and/or social media sites if the Town is involved
as a participant, partner, host, or if the event is located in the Town and aligns with the Town's
corporate values. The Social Media Moderators, upon agreement, or direction by the Chief
Administrative Officer, reserve the right to remove content from the Town's social media sites
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Social Media Policy
that is deemed unsuitable, inappropriate or in violation of the Social Media Policy.
Inappropriate content may include:
- Commercial endorsement or solicitation of one product or service over another;
- Personal political content including statements in support of, or opposition to, matters
before The Blue Mountains Council, or personal comments about staff or elected
officials;
- Content considered to be defamatory, profane, disrespectful or insulting to Town staff
or elected officials;
- Confidential information, including information about members of the public, municipal
staff and elected officials;
- Objectionable material which may include material of a profane or sexually explicit
nature, content that encourages illegal activity, or information that may compromise
the safety and security of the public; and,
- Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race,
creed, colour, age, religion, gender, gender identity, marital status, status with regard to
public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation.
Should the Town discover or receive a complaint regarding the posting of objectionable content
on the Town's social media sites, an investigation will be conducted by the Social Media
Approver in conjunction with Human Resources. If the material is deemed objectionable after
the investigation has been completed, it will be removed from the social networking site.
The Town reserves the right to review, edit, modify, or delete any comment submitted to a
Town social media site by a user. Comments on topics not within the jurisdictional purview of
the Town may be removed.
The Town reserves the right to deny access to Town of The Blue Mountains social media sites
for any individual who violates the Town's Social Media Policy and Terms of Use.
Providing Responses
Typically, the Town will respond to online inquiries or comments made through social media
sites during regular business hours, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Questions or
comments will be acknowledged within three (3) business days.
The Town may request users to refrain from posting inappropriate comments, or may mute,
hide, block, or ban users violating these social media commenting guides.
The Town may choose not to reply to online inquiries or comments if:
- The post includes respectful statements of opinion - people are welcome to express
their views even if they disagree with municipal policies, programs, or decisions; and/or,
- The post is respectful, and directed at other participants in the conversation.
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Social Media Policy
Personal Social Media Accounts
Identifiable Town of The Blue Mountains employees should make it clear that, if posting from
personal social media accounts and commenting upon Town-related matters, they are clearly
voicing only their personal opinion, and not an official, Town position. Avoid the appearance of
officially representing the Town by not posting Town logos, photographs, graphics or other
visual insignia without the Town's permission.
Employees posting comments on personal social media accounts are prohibited from
disseminating any private Town organizational information therein, such as internal
deliberations regarding how policies and decisions are made, or negative, inflammatory
comments regarding the Town of The Blue Mountains. Posts involving, but not limited to the
following, will not be tolerated and will subject the individual to discipline in accordance with
POL.COR.13.24, Progressive Discipline Policy:
- Content which violates the Criminal Code of Canada or the Ontario Human Rights Code;
- Proprietary and/or confidential Town information;
- Harassing, discriminatory or sexual innuendos directed at Town of The Blue Mountains
or any of its employees;
- Identify or make commentary on behalf of Town employees without the consent of that
other Town employee; and,
- Content which violates any of the Town's policies.
Due to the possible sensitive nature, it is generally advised that employees refrain from
commenting and/or interacting with Town related information posted on social media.
Expectation of Privacy
Town employees and members of the public commenting on Town-related posts can have no
expectation of confidentiality or privacy in relation to their online activities as they pertain to,
and are associated with, the legitimate interests of the Town. Posting content on social media
sites regarding the Town, and Town matters, is considered a publication, not a private activity.
Under no circumstances will Town Staff publish personal information, pertaining to either
themselves or to others, on Town social media sites. Personal Information, within the meaning
of MFIPPA, does not include the names and business contact particulars of the Town's elected
officials. All records or other personal information collected through social media are protected
under the Municipal Act and MFIPPA.
Copyright and Use of Photos
All material, including photos and videos, that contain identifiable individuals must receive
appropriate permissions from those individuals. Further, all material posted must conform to
the Copyright Act of Canada.
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Social Media Policy
Disclaimer and Social Media Terms of Use
Where possible, each Town social media site will contain a disclaimer clearly advising third
party users or visitors to the site that third-party comments are not official communications of
The Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains. To this end, the following disclaimer shall
be added to each of the Town's social media sites:
Comments made by members of the public are not official communications of The Corporation
of the Town of The Blue Mountains and are not reflective of the Corporation's views, opinions
and/or policies. Because this site is only periodically monitored, offensive materials or
commentary may be present for which The Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains
denies all responsibility. Further, all comments or other content posted to this site may be
considered public records and be subject to public disclosure under MFIPPA.
In addition, each Town social media site will post a Terms of Use reference document that will
be accessible where possible by site visitors and the Social Media Moderators, outlining the
expectations of use and the timeframe for response (included as Appendix 1).
Exclusions
Social media sites representing the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Councillors are exempt from this
policy, as are sites representing Committees of Council, as these activities are covered under
the POL.COR.07.07, Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Local Boards.
References and Related Policies
POL.COR.07.07 Code of Conduct for Members of Council and Local Boards
POL.COR.12.13 Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy
POL.COR.13.24 Progressive Discipline Policy
POL.ADM.18.01 Website Management and Governance Policy
POL.COR.18.08 Workplace Violence and Harassment Policy
Town of The Blue Mountains' Strategic Plan, Mission and Vision Statements
Consequences of Non-Compliance
Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of
employment, per POL.COR.13.24 Progressive Discipline Policy.
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Social Media Policy
Review Cycle
This policy will be reviewed once per term of Council at minimum, or more frequently as
required.
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Social Media Policy
Appendix 1 - Town Social Media Terms of Use
1. Comments made by members of the public are not official communications of The
Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains and are not reflective of the
Corporation's views, opinions and/or policies. Because this site is only periodically
monitored, offensive materials or commentary may be present for which The
Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains denies all responsibility. Further, all
comments or other content posted to this site may be considered public records and be
subject to public disclosure under MFIPPA.
2. Town social media sites will be monitored during regular business hours, Monday to
Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Efforts will be made to respond to online comments and
inquiries within three business days.
3. The Town will attempt to respond to inquiries and comments on the Town's social
media sites but at the Town's discretion, Staff may request the discussion be redirected
to either telephone or email support channels. The reasons for this request may include,
but are not limited to:
a. Private concerns;
b. Character limits for messages; and/or,
c. Amount of detail required to respond to or resolve a given situation.
4. The Town may choose not to reply to online inquiries or comments if:
a. The post includes respectful statements of opinion - people are welcome to
express their views even if they disagree with municipal policies, programs, or
decisions; and/or,
b. The post is respectful, and directed at other participants in the conversation.
5. The Town is not responsible for the authenticity or suitability of content posted to its
social media site by other users;
6. The Town will adhere to applicable legislation regarding privacy and freedom of
information;
7. By using the Town's social media sites, the user acknowledges and consents that
comments, content, or messages may become part of the Town's public record and
used in official Town documentation.
8. The Town reserves the right to remove content from the Town's social media sites that
is deemed unsuitable, inappropriate or in violation of the Social Media Policy.
Inappropriate content may include:
a. Commercial endorsement or solicitation of one product or service over another;
b. Personal political content including statements in support of, or opposition to,
matters before The Blue Mountains Council, or personal comments about staff
or elected officials;
c. Content considered to be defamatory, profane, disrespectful or insulting to
Town staff or elected officials;
d. Confidential information, including information about members of the public,
municipal staff and elected officials;
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Social Media Policy
e. Objectionable material which may include material of a profane or sexually
explicit nature, content that encourages illegal activity, or information that may
compromise the safety and security of the public; and,
f. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of
race, creed, colour, age, religion, gender, gender identity, marital status, status
with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or
sexual orientation.
9. Comments and images posted by third party users do not necessarily represent the
views of The Corporation of the Town of The Blue Mountains;
10. The Town will not be responsible for any losses or damages suffered as a result of using
third party social media sites. Those using social media participate at their own risk, and
for their own benefit; and,
11. A link between the Town's social media sites and any other website does not imply
endorsement or sponsorship by the Town of that website, the creator of the website, or
the products therein.