TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Purpose:
This policy establishes guidelines for the establishment and use by the Town of Mount
Desert of social media sites (including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter) as a means of conveying Town of Mount Desert information to its citizens. The intended purpose of establishing Town of Mount Desert social media sites is to disseminate information f
rom the Town, about the Town, to its citizens. The Town of Mount Desert has an overriding interest and expectation in deciding what is “spoken” on behalf of the Town on Town social media sites. For purposes of this policy, “social media” is understood to be content created by individuals, using accessible, expandable, and upgradeable publishing technologies, though and on the Internet. Examples of social media include Facebook, blogs, YouTube, Twitter and Linkedin. For purposes of this policy, “comments” include information, articles, pictures, videos or any other form of communicative content posed on a Town of Mount Desert social media site. The establishment and use of social media by any Town department of Mount
Desert are subject to prior approval by the Town Manager.
2 Town social media sites should make clear that they follow the Town’s Social Media
Policy.
3 Wherever possible, Town social media sites should link back to the official Town of
Mount Desert website for forms, documents, online services and other information necessary to conduct business with the Town of Mount Desert.
4 The Town Manager will monitor content on the Town social media sites to ensure adherence to both the Town’s Social Media Policy and the interest and goals of the Town of Mount Desert.
5 The Town of Mount Desert, through its duly authorized representatives, reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of this Social Media Policy or any applicable law. Any content removed based on these guidelines must be retained by the Town Manager for a reasonable period of time, including the time, date and identity of the poster, when available.
6 These guidelines must be displayed to users or made available by hyperlink.
7 To the maximum extent deemed reasonable by the Town’s duly authorized representatives, the Town of Mount Desert will approach the use of social media tools as consistently as possible, town wide.
8 The Town of Mount Desert website at www.mountdesert.org will remain the Town’s primary and predominant internet presence.
9 The Town of Mount Desert social media sites shall adhere to applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies.
10 Town of Mount Desert social media sites are subject to the Maine Freedom of Access Act. Any content maintained in a social media format that is related to Town of Mount Desert business, including a list of subscribers, posted communication and communication submitted for posting may be a public record subject to public disclosure.
11 Comments on topics or issues not within the jurisdictional purview of the Town of
Mount Desert may be removed.
12 Employees representing the Town of Mount Desert through the use of Town social media sites must conduct themselves at all times as a representative of the Town of Mount Desert in accordance with all Town policies.
13 This social media policy may be revised at any time. Comment Policy:
1. As a public entity the Town of Mount Desert must abide by certain standards to serve all its’ constituents in a civil and unbiased manner.
2. The intended purpose behind establishing Town of Mount Desert social media sites is to disseminate information form the Town of Mount Desert, about the Town of Mount Desert, to its citizens.
3. Comments containing any of the following inappropriate forms of content shall not be permitted on Town of Mount Desert social media sites and are subject to removal and/or restriction at the discretion of the Town Manager or his/her designees:
a. Comments determined not to be relevant to the original topic at issue, including random or unintelligible comments;
b. Profane, obscene, violent, or pornographic content and/or language;
c. Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, or national origin;
d. Defamatory statements or personal attacks;
e. Threats to any person or organization;
f. Comments in support of, or in opposition to, any political campaigns or ballot measures;
g. Solicitation of commerce, including but not limited to advertising of any business or product for sale;
h. Conduct or comments in violation of any federal, state or local law;
i. Encouragement of illegal activity;
j. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
k. Content that violates a legal ownership, such as copyright, or any party.
4. A comment posted by a member of the public on any Town of Mount Desert social media site reflects the opinion of the commentator or poster only, and a publication of a comment does not imply endorsement of, or agreement by, the Town of Mount Desert, nor do such comments necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Town of Mount Desert.
5. The Town of Mount Desert reserves the right to deny access to the Town of Mount Desert social media sites for any individual, who violates the Town of Mount Desert’s Social Media Policy, at any time and without prior notice.
6. When a Town of Mount Desert employee responds to a comment, in his/her capacity as a Town of Mount Desert employee, he/she shall not share personal information about himself or herself or other Town of Mount Desert employees.
7. This policy does not prohibit any Department of the Town of Mount Desert from adopting stricter policy language or content.
8. All comments posted to any Town of Mount Desert Facebook site are bound by Facebooks’ Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, located at http://www.facebook.com/terms.php, and the Town of Mount Desert reserves the right to report any violation of Facebook’s Statement of Rights and Responsibilities to Facebook with the intent of Facebook taking appropriate and reasonable responsive action.
