This page is monitored and managed by the Communications Specialist and is not monitored 24/7. Town of Sharon Social Media Terms of Use Policy
EXTERNAL POLICY
PURPOSE
The social media pages of the Town of Sharon (the “Town”) are created to build communication and trust with its residents and visitors and encourage participation through comments and feedback. These pages are monitored and mana
ged by the Town of Sharon Communications Specialist and other Town staff members. The Town has an important interest in ensuring the accuracy and consistency of information associated with its social media accounts. This policy is designed to respect and comply with the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the rights outlined in the Massachusetts State Constitution, and the right to freedom of speech. This Social Media Terms of Use Policy (the “Policy”) establishes terms, conditions and guidelines for the public’s use of the Town’s social media accounts. DEFINITIONS
• “Social media” means content (text, images, audio, links, or video) created or shared by the Town and communicated on its online accounts. The platforms on which the Town has created these accounts allow sharing, commenting, and other engagement. Examples of social media accounts the Town may use are Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
• “Comments” include any content (text, images, audio, links, or video) posted to one of the Town’s social media accounts by a user.
• “User” means a member of the public who views or interacts with one or more of the Town’s social media accounts. GENERAL GUIDELINES
• This Policy applies to all Town social media accounts. Where possible, a link to this Policy will be made available as a hyperlink or posted as text somewhere on each of the Town’s social media accounts.
• Users should know that social media posts the Town makes – as well as comments and replies to those posts, and any direct or private messages sent to a Town’s social media account – may be classified as “public records” subject to Massachusetts Public Records Law.
• Town social media accounts are not monitored 24/7 and no one should utilize Town social media accounts to seek emergency services. Anyone in need of emergency help should call 9-1-1.
• The Town does not guarantee it will respond to comments or messages sent on its social media accounts. MODERATION OF THIRD PARTY CONTENT
The Town does not necessarily endorse, support, sanction, encourage, verify or agree with User comments, messages, posts, opinions, advertisements, videos, promoted content, external hyperlinks, linked websites (or the information, products or services contained therein), statements, commercial products, processes or services posted on any of its social media accounts. Each Town social media account serves as a limited public forum and all content published is subject to preservation and disclosure in accordance with Massachusetts Public Records Law. The Town invites members of the public to view and, where possible, provide comments or other engagement on its social media accounts. However, the law permits the Town to hide and/or delete comments that are not protected speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and other relevant federal and state law. Prohibited Content. The following comments may be hidden or deleted:
• Comments directly advocating violence or illegal activity.
• Comments containing direct criminal threats as defined by local, state, or federal law.
• Comments containing obscenity, which is defined as sexually explicit and/or pornographic content that is patently offensive, appeals to prurient interest, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value.
• Comments that directly promote or advocate for the Town to illegally discriminate based on race, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected class if such comments violate local, state, or federal law.
• Comments containing links to malware and/or malicious content that affects the normal functioning of a computer system, server, app, or browser.
• Duplicate comments posted repeatedly within a short period of time.
• Comments containing actual defamation against a person, either as determined by a court or comments that are patently defamatory by easily discovered facts. When a public figure is the target, the poster must act with actual malice for the comment to be defamatory.
• Comments that contain images or other content that violate the intellectual property or copyright rights of someone else, if the owner of that property notifies us that the property was included in a comment on our social media account(s).
• Comments that contain a hyperlink to any website other than those the Town controls. This will be done without regard to the viewpoint of the comment containing such a link or the content of the site to which the link redirects. The Town does not allow information intended to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems. You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided. When a comment containing any of the above content is posted to one of the Town’s social media accounts and the Town proceeds to hide or delete the comment, a copy or electronic record of that content may be retained pursuant to the Town’s records retention policy, along with a brief description of the reason the specific content was hidden or deleted. Right of Appeal. If the Town hides or deletes a user comment pursuant to this Policy, that user has the right to appeal that decision by sending an email to [email protected], or a letter to the Select Board, Town Offices, 90 S. Main St., Sharon, 02067 within five business days of the Town’s action. Upon receipt of an appeal, Town Counsel will determine whether the comment at issue contained content protected by the First Amendment or other applicable law. If the appeal is successful, the comment may (if possible) be restored for public view, or the user may be permitted to repost the comment. Upon a determination that the comment was not protected by the First Amendment, the user will be notified that the appeal was denied. The return correspondence, sent within a reasonable amount of time, will provide the user with a brief legal explanation for the action taken. Blocking or Banning a User. When the Town determines that a user has violated this Policy on three or more occasions within a 12 month rolling period, the Town may block or ban the offending user from the social media account where the violations occurred. If the Town blocks or bans a user, the Town will reasonably attempt to notify the user and describe the violation. If the appeal is successful and the user has not violated this policy three times within a rolling 12 month period, the Town will unblock or unban the user from the social media account. If the appeal is not successful, the Town’s determination will stand.
