Menifee City Social Media Policy AD 33.docx
CITY OF MENIFEE
Administrative Policy
Policy Number: AD-33
Approving Authority:
City Manager
Subject
CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Effective Date:
Last Modified: N/A
PURPOSE
The City uses Social Media to provide content to community members about City business and
services in a manner which encourages a high level of public confidence in a responsive and
transparent government. The City has an interest in determining what messages are delivered
and what information is exchanged regarding the City through the use of Social Media.
This Policy establishes a consistent, streamlined approach to City Social Media use by
Authorized Users. All Authorized Users must adhere to this Policy when using Social Media on
behalf of the City. Nothing in this Policy shall be applied to prohibit or infringe upon any speech
or expression that is protected or privileged under law.
DEFINITIONS
Authorized User: all City employees and contractors authorized by the City Manager or
appointed designee to use Social Media on behalf of the City.
City: the City of Menifee, California.
Comment: a response provided as an answer or reaction to a post or a message on Social
Media.
Content: any materials, documents, photographs, videos, graphics, and other information that is
created, posted, distributed, or transmitted using social media.
Social Media: media designed to disseminate content (information, images, audio, and video)
through social interaction. The term includes “social network sites” that allow individuals and
organizations to construct a profile and create and share content with others. Examples of Social
Media include, but are not limited to:
● Video-sharing sites (e.g. YouTube)
● Blogs (websites/webpages containing an online journal with commentary, descriptions
and opinions, e.g. Tumblr)
● Photo-sharing sites (e.g. Flicker)
● Podcasting (digital audio files e.g. Spotify)
● Social networks groups professional and social (e.g. LinkedIn)
● Microblogging and short messaging (e.g. Twitter)
● Wikis (websites allowing for collaborative editing of content by users, e.g. Wikipedia)
● Content sharing sites (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)
● Online discussion groups (e.g. Reddit)
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Terms of Use: the terms of use attached as Exhibit “A” hereto and incorporated herein by this
reference.
AUTHORITY, ADMINISTRATION
The City Manager or designee shall be the administrator of this policy. The City Manager’s
designees for administration are, for City Social Media, the Public Information and Legislative
Affairs Officer, and for Menifee Police Department Social Media, the Chief of Police. The City
Manager or designee is responsible for the overall management of City Social Media, including
administration of this Policy and ensuring that the City’s use of Social Media complies with this
Policy and applicable law. The City Manager or designee shall monitor City Social Media use for
adherence to this Policy. The City Manager or designees’ rights and responsibilities include, but
are not limited to:
● Designating Authorized Users and determining the appropriate level of user access
and authorization for such Authorized User;
● Maintaining a list of approved City Social Media Accounts, users, access levels,
and log-in credentials;
● Resetting account passwords at frequency determined by the IT department;
● Reinforcing brand standards that are representative of “One City of Menifee” as
described in the City of Menifee Strategic Plan;
● Coordinating with the IT department to provide and enforce cyber-security and
related direction for Authorized Users;
● Evaluating all Content that is published on City Social Media for adherence to this
Policy and consistency with the interests and goals of the City;
● Requiring revision or removal of Content on City Social Media where required by
applicable law.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Authorized Users are separately and independently responsible
for compliance with this Policy. The City Manager or designee may address violations of this
Policy in a manner complying with applicable law, including but not limited to revoking
authorization for an Authorized User, requiring the closure of a particular City Social Media
account or site, discipline, or termination. Authorized Users shall comply with all direction of the
City Manager or appropriate designee.
ESTABLISHING AND USING CITY SOCIAL MEDIA
Compliance with Law and City Policies
The use of Social Media for City purposes raises legal issues that are unique to local government
and generally do not affect private persons or entities. Therefore, all City use of Social Media
shall be in accordance with this Policy and all applicable local, state, and federal laws, as well
as all other applicable City policies and procedures, including the City branding/graphic guide.
Use of City Social Media on behalf of the City is part of work performed in the scope of
employment. Accordingly, non-exempt employees shall only perform work, including using City
Social Media as an Authorized User. during that employee’s working hours.
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Approval Required to Establish Account
All City Social Media accounts or sites must be approved in advance by the City Manager, or
designee. City departments that wish to establish a presence on social media must submit a
request to the City Manager or designee. The request will be reviewed by the City Manager or
designee to ensure compliance with all terms of use for any social media site or service. Upon
approval, the City Manager shall authorize the appropriate Authorized User to administer the
account or site.
Account Use
City Social Media account or site names shall be established using the City's name as a leading
identifier. City Social Media shall use the email pio@cityofmenifee.us or other City-based email
as appropriate, and shall not use any personal e-mails or phone numbers for setup. No portion
of any City Social Media shall contain a personal e-mail address or any other personal
information of an Authorized User or any other person, except the name of the employee whose
job duties include being available for contact by the public via a City e-mail account.
The design, set up, use, and maintenance, of City Social Media shall be consistent with the
City’s branding guidelines and graphic standards, and the following general guidelines:
● The City’s official website (or any domain owned by the City) will remain the City’s primary
means of internet communication. Content posted on City Social Media shall be
organized in a manner which avoids posting information which conflicts with the City’s
official website or domains.
● All City Social Media accounts or sites shall link back to the City’s official website for
forms, documents, online services, and other information necessary to conduct business
with the City.
● All City Social Media user or profile names are to be listed on the City of Menifee website
to assist the public in identifying official City social media presences.
● All City Social Media accounts or sites shall state the following in an obvious part of the
account or site:
All City of Menifee Social Media is administered pursuant to the City’s Social
Media Policy. All content posted on City of Menifee Social Media is subject to the
City’s Terms of Use available at :www.cityofmenifee.us/socialmediapolicy. The
City of Menifee does not endorse any content posted on City of Menifee social
media not posted by an official City of Menifee account.
● City Social Media shall bear the name and official logo of the City or the appropriate City
department.
● The City must either own the copyright to or have a valid license (written permission) to
use the Content, including images, videos, sound records, etc., posted to City Social
Media by Authorized Users. Authorized Users shall not post images of persons other than
the Authorized User without the consent of those persons, which may be in the form of
(1) a signed release, (2) signage at an event indicating that images may be posted online,
or (3) other written document evidencing consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
consent is not required for images of public events or taken inside public buildings or
spaces.
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
● City Social Media accounts may only “follow” or interact with other Social Media accounts
or pages which are (a) other public entities, (b) government officials acting in an official,
non-campaign capacity, (c) City of Menifee Community Partners, and (d) other Social
Media accounts approved in writing by the City Manager or designee.
● The City reserves the right to alter or terminate any City Social Media site or account at
any time, in a manner compliant with applicable law. Authorized Users shall comply with
direction of the City Manager or designee regarding alteration of any Content or City
Social Media site or account.
● City Social Media may contain content including, but not limited to, advertisements or
hyperlinks over which the City has no control. The City does not endorse any hyperlink
or advertisement placed on City Social Media by any person other than an Authorized
User.
● City Social Media shall be administered in a professional matter which accurately reflects
the position of the City. City Social Media should foster relevant, honest, civil, and
productive discussions and encourage productive engagement on matters of City
business. Authorized Users shall use City Social Media in a manner appropriate to be
viewed by all members of the public, including children and shall avoid the use of profanity,
personal attacks, bullying, or incorrect information wherever possible, provided however
that the Terms of Use shall apply to persons other than Authorized Users acting in that
capacity.
● Authorized Users shall moderate City Social Media in a manner consistent with the Terms
of Use, and may only remove or modify Content posted by third parties, or block accounts
when permitted by the Terms of Use and applicable law.
● Privacy settings for any City Social Media must configure privacy settings to be as open
as possible.
● All City Social Media shall enable all accessibility features available and those required
by the American Disabilities Act and California law to make Content as accessible as
possible.
● All Content posted on City Social Media which relates to City business may be a public
record and may be subject to the California Public Records Act. All City Social Media
accounts shall be registered through ArchiveSocial which maintains records in near-real
time. Registration with ArchiveSocial shall be required as a condition to setting up a City
Social Media page or account.
● Persons requesting access to public records should be directed to the City Clerk for
submission of a California Public Records Act request, and such requests should not be
processed through City Social Media.
Content
City use of Social Media is a means of City communication, and is not an avenue for personal
or private expression of Authorized Users. Authorized Users shall therefore refrain from posting
Content which violates this Policy and any applicable law. Authorized Users therefore may not
post any of the following in their role as an Authorized User:
● Actual or perceived threats to public health, safety or property or emergency
situations (unless the person authorized to post content represents police or fire);
● Personal information except for the names of those employees whose job duties include
being available for contact by the public;
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
● Actual or potential legal claims, lawsuits, or other legal issues;
● Personnel matters;
● Budget planning and priorities;
● Crime investigations and content about a crime scene;
● Opinions on City issues or any other issue;
● Content involving tobacco, drugs, alcohol, profanity, obscenity, illegal activities, or
pornography other than approved public health awareness and safety messaging;
● Political issues, including opinions about elected officials or candidates for elected office
and issues appearing on an election ballot;
● What a council member might think about an issue or speculation about a potential
decision they might make;
● Advertising of any kind, unless City-sponsored;
● Promotion of religious beliefs or philosophies;
● Content that is illegal under federal, state, or local laws;
● Content that is defamatory or indecent;
● Content that has already been disseminated by the City to the public, unless approved
for publication by the Authorized User by the City Manager or designee;
● Content that discredits or disparages the City, its employees, or officials; or
● Any other Content as determined by the City Manager to violate this Policy.
The City Manager or designee may require the modification, supplement, or revision to any
Content posted by an Authorized User, in a manner compliant with applicable law. Authorized
Users shall follow all City Manager or designee direction regarding the same.
At times, an Authorized User may post Content that includes the name, image, likeness, and/or
voice of a member of the public. If a member of the public requests that specific post be
removed because of being included in it, then an Authorized User must remove the Content
containing the member of the public to the furthest extent possible, which may include removing
an entire post or may include removing and then re-posting a shortened video. The Authorized
User shall also follow-up with the member of the public who made the request to inform them
of the resolution.
USING SOCIAL MEDIA IN A PERSONAL CAPACITY
City employees and contractors, including Authorized Users, may use Social Media in a
personal, non-employment capacity in any way that person desires. Employees and
contractors acting in a personal capacity are alerted that there may be restrictions on the
distribution of non-public information gained in the scope of employment with the City, or any
other information confidential or privileged to the City. City employees and contractors are
notified that falsely claiming to be communicating on behalf of the City, or using a City title or
position for promotion or advertising purposes, may violate the law or other City policies and be
grounds for legal or disciplinary action by the City.
In light of the foregoing, it is recommended that City employees and contractors refrain from
using City resources when using Social Media in a personal capacity. It is further
recommended, but not required, that if a City employee or contractor desires to comment on
City Social Media, that that employee state their role with the City where relevant, and use a
disclaimer clarifying that the Content posted by that person reflects their personal view.
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
MODIFICATIONS
The City reserves the right to change, modify, or otherwise amend all or part of this Policy at
any time.
RELATED POLICIES
City Social Media for Public Officials (CC-04)
Internet Use and Computer Resource Use Policy (Ad-04)
REVISION HISTORY
Revision
No.
Date
Approved Approved By: Comments
0 Original Policy
____________________________________ _____________________
Armando G. Villa, City Manager Date
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10/2/2023
CITY OF MENIFEE
Administrative Policy
Policy Number: AD-33
Approving Authority:
City Manager
Subject
CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Effective Date:
Last Modified: N/A
Exhibit “A”
Terms of Use
PURPOSE
These Terms of Use govern all Content posted on and interactions with City Social Media by all
persons not acting in an official City capacity. The City’s primary online presence is its official
website, located at www.cityofmenifee.us. City Social Media should be used for informational
purposes only and should not be relied upon for accuracy. City Social Media is not monitored on
consistent hours and should not be used to seek services from the City, including emergency
services which should be requested by calling 9-1-1.
DEFINITIONS
City: the City of Menifee, California.
Comment: a response provided as an answer or reaction to a post or a message on Social
Media.
Content: any materials, documents, photographs, videos, graphics, and other information that is
created, posted, distributed, or transmitted using Social Media.
Social Media: media designed to disseminate content (information, images, audio, and video)
through social interaction. The term includes “social network sites” that allow individuals and
organizations to construct a profile and create and share content with others. Examples of social
media include, but are not limited to:
● Video-sharing sites (e.g. YouTube)
● Blogs (websites/webpages containing an online journal with commentary, descriptions
and opinions, e.g. Tumblr)
● Photo-sharing sites (e.g. Flicker)
● Podcasting (digital audio files e.g. Spotify)
● Social networks groups professional and social (e.g. LinkedIn)
● Microblogging and short messaging (e.g. Twitter)
● Wikis (websites allowing for collaborative editing of content by users, e.g. Wikipedia)
● Content sharing sites (e.g. Facebook, Instagram)
● Online discussion groups (e.g. Reddit) .
Terms of Use: these terms of use.
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
LIMITED PUBLIC FORUM
The primary purpose of the City’s use of Social Media is to share content about City news and
services. The City does not intend to use social media as the primary public forum for the
resolution of City issues, which should continue to be addressed with the appropriate City body
or department.
City Social Media is a limited public forum pursuant to case law implementing the First and
Fourteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution, and is intended to relate solely to
matters of City business. City Social Media is not a general public forum.
COMMENT POLICY
Content posted by a member of the public on City Social Media or sent to a City Social Media
Account is the opinion of the commentator or poster only, and the posting of a comment does not
imply endorsement of, or agreement by, the City or any of its employees or public officials. The
City neither guarantees the authenticity, accuracy, appropriateness nor security of external links,
websites, or content linked thereto. Any content posted to City Social Media, including direct
messages sent to a City Social Media account is a matter of public record. The City may or may
not respond to any Content posted or sent to City Social Media accounts and pages.
The City may hide or delete Content which violates these Terms of Use and applicable law,
including:
Content not topically related to the matter of City business implicated by the original City
post;
Content containing “true threats” of violence or unlawful activity;
Content 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;
Content that directly promote or advocate that we illegally discriminate based on race,
age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any
other legally protected class;
Content containing links to actual or suspected malware and/or malicious content that
affects the normal functioning of a computer system, server, or browser;
Content containing actual defamation or libel against a person, either as determined by a
court or comments that are patently defamatory by easily discovered facts;
Content that contain images or other content that violate the intellectual property or
copyright rights of someone else, if the owner of that property notifies the City that the
property was posted in a comment on our social media account(s);
Content which any applicable law permits or requires the City to remove;
● Content that solicits or promotes commercial services or products.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City is not required to remove, hide, or otherwise moderate
any Content posted on City Social Media, and disclaims any and all responsibility and liability for
Content posted on City Social Media by third parties.
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CITY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Prior to removal or hiding of any Content, the City may retain or archive a copy or electronic
record of such Content pursuant to the City’s records retention policy, along with a brief
description of the reason the specific Content was deleted.
In the event the City determines to hide or delete Content, the City shall use reasonable efforts
to contact the party who posted the Content and notify them of the reason for the action, and the
right to an appeal.
If the City determines that a user has violated these Terms of Use (and received notification of
such violations) three (3) or more times during a rolling twelve (12) month period and the City
determines said violations indicate that continued access to the City’s Social Media will
undermine the City’s stated purpose in maintaining Social Media, the City may block or ban the
user from the Social Media account or page where the violation occurred. In the event the City
determines to block a user, the City shall use reasonable efforts to contact the party who posted
the Content and notify them of the reason for the action, and the right to an appeal.
APPEAL
If the City hides or deletes a comment, or blocks a user, the user may appeal the decision by
emailing the Public Information and Legislative Affairs Officer at pio@cityofmenifee.us within five
(5) business days of the City’s action. The Public Information and Legislative Affairs Officer or
designee shall review the appeal and will determine (1) whether the City’s action complied with
this policy and (2) whether the City’s action complied with any other applicable law raised in the
appeal. Actions successfully appealed will be revoked to the extent possible on the applicable
Social Media network. The user will receive a notification on the status of an appeal within thirty
(30) days, and again when a final determination by the City has been made.
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