Social Media Policy

Definitions

Social media – a category of Internet-based resources that integrate user-generated content and user participation to share information, ideas, personal messages and other content, including photos and videos. Social media includes social networks, which are online platforms where users can create profiles, share information and personal messages, and connect with others.

Personal social media account – a social media account, regardless of platform, that is attributed to and operated by a LCSWMA employee for personal use and is not approved by LCSWMA leadership or the Public Relations Manager as an official communications channel of the Authority.
Designated public forum – created when a LCSWMA-owned social media account is intentionally opened for use by the public as a place for expressive activity where members of the public may communicate, post or comment on information, subject to viewpoint neutral rules designated by LCSWMA leadership. In terms of social media, this would include the ability of public users to comment on or reply to social media posts, pictures, or videos. 

General Policy

LCSWMA’s Executive Leadership Team and Public Relations Manager shall approve all official social media accounts created and/or maintained as LCSWMA-owned accounts. The Public Relations Manager oversees all Authority-owned social media accounts and serves as the primary contact person. All Authority-owned social media accounts shall display the official name and logo of LCSWMA. LCSWMA establishes that LCSWMA-owned social media accounts may operate as a designated public forum, where the public may comment and interact with information posted by LCSWMA, subject to the Authority’s established rules. LCSWMA approves the following rules for public interaction with LCSWMA-owned social media accounts. The Social Media Policy will live on LCSWMA’s website while the disclaimer and link to the policy will be included on all social media accounts. 

Content Guidelines

LCSWMA encourages the public to respond to posts and share comments that are constructive and courteous. Statements and opinions expressed by visitors to the account do not reflect the opinions of LCSWMA. Questions regarding information should be directed to the Public Relations Manager or to the Authority’s General Counsel. LCSWMA may from time to time review comments and may remove comments which: 

1. Are profane, vulgar, harmful to minors or obscene. 
2. Contain sexual content or links to sexual content. 
3. Contain threats or contain personal attacks on individuals, property or organizations. 
4. Promote, suggest or encourage illegal activity or incite violence. 
5. Promote or endorse commercial products, services or businesses. 
6. Support or oppose political campaigns, candidates or ballot measures. 
7. Contain confidential information. 
8. Contain false or libelous statements. 
9. Contain hate speech directed at a protected class of individuals including content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, or status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation, as well as any other category protected by federal, state, or local laws. 
10. Are spamming in nature (same comment posted repeatedly). 
11. Include comments unrelated to the topic of the forum; hyperlinks to material that is not directly related to the discussion. 
12. Contain malicious software (malware) such as viruses, worms, trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware or any other unwanted software. 
13. Contain information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.

Content Management

The Authority is committed to serving the online community in a civil and unbiased manner. 
All comments or postings related to the Authority social media sites will be subject to monitoring by the Authority’s Public Relations Manager or their designee. 
The Authority reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed by the Authority to be in violation of this Social Media Policy or any other applicable law. Any Authority employee, volunteer, or official who finds content on or through the Authority social media sites that is potentially inappropriate or inconsistent with this Policy will notify the Public Relations Manager or their designee, who will consult with the Authority’s legal counsel for direction on further handling of the potentially inappropriate or inconsistent content to ensure compliance with the Policy. The Authority disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for any materials that the Authority deems inappropriate for posting that cannot be removed in an expeditious and otherwise timely manner. 
Any content removed based on this Policy may be retained by the Authority for a reasonable period of time, and will include the time, date and identity (including username or screenname) of the poster, when available. 
The Authority may block specific users, but only to the extent that such users’ comments are determined by the Authority to be defamatory, obscene, or for purposes of posting spam or soliciting commerce. Users will not be blocked for disagreeing with or providing a contrary opinion or point of view to that of the Authority. 

Disclaimer

When applicable, the following disclaimer shall be posted on all respective Authority social media pages: 
The Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (LCSWMA) encourages the public to respond to posts and share comments that are constructive and courteous. Statements and opinions expressed by visitors to the account do not reflect the opinions of LCSWMA. The Authority reserves the right to restrict or remove any postings or comments that violate the Authority’s Social Media Policy, which can be found on the Authority’s website at www.lcswma.org. 

Standards

Posting of Personally Identifiable Information 
Upon employment at LCSWMA, staff are asked to complete a Publicity Waiver and Release that grants the Authority absolute and unconditional consent, waiver and release of liability, allowing LCSWMA to publicize and commercially exploit an employee’s name, likeness and other personal characteristics and private information as set in the Publicity Waiver and Release. LCSWMA prohibits posting of staff images in photos or videos when a staff member has submitted a written request to the Public Relations Manager, Human Resource Manager or the direct supervisor requesting that the said information not be posted. 
Intellectual Property Rights 
The illegal use of copyrighted, branded or trademarked materials and images are prohibited on LCSWMA social media accounts. All content shall be subject to copyright fair use guidelines and applicable laws and regulations. 
Connecting with Other Social Media Accounts 
Content or information posted to Authority-owned social media accounts shall not be connected to other social media accounts through linking or tagging if the outside account is for a commercial application, product or service and the Authority or its employees would receive financial or other compensation as a result of the connection. 
Authority-owned social media accounts shall not be connected to social media accounts of individual employees through linking or tagging. 
Authority-owned social media accounts may be connected through linking or tagging to social media accounts of community organizations, solid waste industry organizations and associations or similar sustainability-related groups when the content or information has been reviewed and approved by the Communication Manager.