Policy
The City of Minneapolis supports the use of social media to advance the goals of the City and its boards and commissions. To ensure the City represents itself, and its boards and commissions, appropriately and consistently online, the Communications Department is charged with overseeing the design, implementation, and management of City-supported social media sites and overseeing the use of other social media sites by covered persons.
Purpose and scope
Purpose: To communicate requirements regarding the use of Social Media Sites and increase awareness of acceptable conduct of covered persons, as defined in this policy, when interacting on City-supported social media sites and other social media sites.
Scope: This policy applies to covered persons, as defined in this policy. This policy covers covered persons’ conduct on and use of social media sites, including new or existing City-supported social media sites. This policy is effective January 1, 2020.
All other City policies, City Charter provisions, City ordinances, state and federal laws, and United States and Minnesota Constitutions, apply to social media, even if not specifically mentioned in this policy and the implementing procedures. For example, covered persons shall bear in mind the requirements of City policies, including Civil Service Rule 11, which covers substandard performance and misconduct.
Definitions
City-supported social media sites: Social media sites used to communicate messages and interact with users as the City or on behalf of City programs, projects, departments, initiatives, officials and others, or on behalf of a City board or commission.
Covered persons: Covered persons, for purposes of this policy, is defined as persons who perform services for the City of Minneapolis, with or without compensation, including:
- All full-time and part-time staff
- Mayor’s office staff
- City Council staff
- Elected officials
- Members of City boards and commissions
- Classified employees
- Temporary employees
- Appointed employees
- Volunteers
- Contractors and consultants working on City-supported social media sites
- Interns; and
- Others working on behalf of the City on City-supported social media sites
Social media contract: An agreement with social media sites for the purpose of creating and/or maintaining a social media site. These agreements are commonly called a service/user agreement, terms of service, community guidelines/standards, etc.
Social media site: An internet site or application where users create and share content and participate in online communities and conversations, in the form of a page, profile, account, group or other presence. These include, but are not limited to, blogs, forums, chat sites, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Nextdoor, LinkedIn, Reddit, and YouTube. This policy includes emerging new web-based platforms generally regarded as social media or having many of the same functions as those listed.
General conditions
The Communications Department is authorized to enter into social media contracts and may authorize other covered persons to enter into social media contracts for the creation of City-supported social media sites. City-supported social media sites shall only be created upon the approval of the Communications Department.
The Communications Department is directed to develop and maintain procedures for the implementation of this policy, including procedures for covered persons’ use of Social Media Sites, and for new and existing City-supported social media sites, including account creation, development, maintenance and management of those sites. All covered persons must comply with the social media procedures.
Investigations resulting in a finding that a covered person’s conduct violated this policy will result in appropriate action and may result in discipline, up to and including discharge from employment.
Roles and responsibilities
The Communications Department is responsible for:
- Developing and implementing procedures for the implementation of this policy.
- Reviewing all requests for new City-supported social media sites.
- Overseeing the review, approval, creation, development and management of existing and proposed City-supported social media sites.
- Developing and providing, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department, enterprise social media training and education.
- Ensuring compliance with this policy and its procedures.
- Working with the City Clerk’s Office to ensure compliance with records retention laws.
- Ensuring compliance with social media terms of service, community guidelines and other rules.
- Working with covered persons and the City Clerk’s Office to create and implement City-supported social media sites.
Covered persons are responsible for:
- Following this policy and its procedures when participating on both City-supported social media sites and other social media sites.
Information Technology is responsible for:
- Advising the Communications Department on technology and security best practices as it relates to City-supported social media sites.
- Referring those requesting the creation of City-supported social media sites to the Communications Department.
- Developing and providing, in collaboration with the Human Resources Department and the Communications Department, social media security training.
The City Attorney’s Office is responsible for:
- Advising the Communications Department of statutes, regulations and case law requiring modification to the policy or procedures.
- Assisting with legal interpretation of the policy language.
- Assisting in determining when there may be a violation of the policy.
- Alerting appropriate personnel when records need to be preserved for litigation.
The Human Resources Department is responsible for:
- Assisting the Communications Department and Information Technology in development of social media training for covered persons.
- Assisting departments in determining when there may be a violation of the policy and advising departments on appropriate discipline.
Departments are responsible for:
- Forwarding requests to the Communications Department to maintain and create a City-supported social media site.
- Managing and monitoring its City-supported social media sites.
- Investigating, or cooperating with the Human Resources Department in investigating, the conduct of covered persons.
- Taking appropriate action on violations or complaints related to this policy and its procedures.
City Clerk’s Office is responsible for:
- Assisting with issues related to retention and destruction of data.
- Assisting with issues related to the Open Meeting law.
- Assisting with requests for social media site data.
- Assisting the Communications Department, as needed, when City-supported social media sites are created and implemented.
