Social Media Policy
The official corporate 'Northumberland County' social media channels are managed by the County's Communications team. Other official channels for County programs and services are managed by their departmental staff. For a full list of County social media channels, visit our Social Media Centre page.
In March 2022, County Council adopted an updated Social Media Policy to outline expectations and guidelines for County representatives on social media, as well as the following terms and conditions of use for community members posting to County social media channels.
Terms and conditions of use
The following terms and conditions are in place to govern the use of social media channels managed by Northumberland County (‘the County’). By visiting and/or posting on these channels, users agree to follow the terms and conditions below.
Hours of operation |
The County is committed to using its social media channels as an effective method of communication with interested users. All sites will be monitored during regular business hours of Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Excellent customer service is a priority for Northumberland County, and every attempt will be made to respond to inquiries via social media in a timely manner during office hours. However, turnaround times are impacted by staff availability and resources across the corporation, and there will be instances when response times may be extended. In addition, there are some situations that are best dealt directly with specific departmental staff, and responses may therefore be limited to providing relevant department contact information for further discussion. The County encourages members of the public to contact us with official communication via traditional channels (phone, email, in-person). The County assumes no responsibility for lack of service due to channel-related downtime or issues. |
Code of conduct |
Northumberland County seeks to foster an inclusive and welcoming online community where people interact and share perspectives and ideas in a thoughtful and respectful manner. To build and maintain such collaborative spaces, the Code of Conduct requires those posting to County social media channels to adhere to the following:
|
Guidelines for participation |
Content, comments, or links posted to County social media channels that contain any of the following will not be acknowledged, and may be modified or removed:
Users may not use the County name or any related moniker to endorse or promote any product, opinion or cause. Representation of users’ opinion as endorsed by the County is strictly prohibited. The County is not responsible for the authenticity or suitability of content posted to its social media platforms by users. Health and safetyIn accordance with Northumberland County’s vision, mission and core values, and with the commitment to protect County employees from harm and harassment in the workplace, the County will not condone any of the following on social media:
|
Channel moderation |
Should comments or other content posted to a County-managed social media channel violate the Code of Conduct or Guidelines for participation, the following steps will be taken:
The County reserves the right to block specific user accounts from the County’s social media channels whose activities do not comply with the County's Social Media Policy. |
Privacy |
The County will adhere to all applicable legislation regarding privacy and freedom of information. The County is subject to Ontario’s Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.56 (“MFIPPA”) and other privacy legislation. Users should be aware that personal and other information contained in electronic correspondence (or printed copies of this electronic correspondence) directed to the County is subject to MFIPPA. This information may be deemed releasable under this legislation and the anonymity of the sender and confidentiality of any information contained in the correspondence cannot be guaranteed. |
Records retention |
All content created and collected through social media is subject to the County’s Records Retention By-Law No. 27-12. For any content posted by a member of the public to a County social media channel that is removed because it is deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable law, a record will be retained by the Social Media Account Manager, and have supporting documentation, including the time, date, identity of poster, reason for removal, and any required incident reporting. |
Use of collected information |
Unless explicitly stated, the County does not collect or distribute information garnered through the use of social media platforms for commercial or marketing purposes. The County will not use any information provided by users for any purpose that is not consistent with the purpose for which the information was provided as stated on the social media platform. |
Disclaimer |
Modification of terms and conditions of useThe County reserves the right to change the Terms and Conditions of Use at any time and at its sole discretion. Continued use of a social media site constitutes a user’s agreement to all of the aforementioned terms and conditions of use. |