City of Mission Social Media Policy:

“Social media account” shall mean any of the City of Mission’s accounts or online services that allow for interaction with City residents and other stakeholders, including, but not limited to, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Snapchat and Instagram.  These accounts are limited public forums, are not available for general public discourse, but rather reserves and limits the topics that may be discussed.

The City of Mission aims to promote effective communication and maintain a courteous dialogue. In that spirit, the rules for posting external comments on any official City of Mission social networking site or digital media will maintain a productive forum for community discussion. Our moderators use these rules to ensure that posted comments are constructive and appropriate for all participants, while respecting a range of opinions.

A. Posted comments MUST comply with the following:

1. Comments and posts must be civil and may not contain libelous, slanderous, offensive, threatening, profane, malicious, or insulting language.

2. References to the personality of individuals or personal attacks are not permitted.

3. Abusive or fake profiles/accounts are prohibited.

4. Advertising, business or promotional announcements are not permitted.

5. Comments and posts cannot serve electoral campaign purposes. Political messages will not be published.

6. Participants are accountable for what they post. Comments must not breach any law, confidentiality, or copyright.

7. Comments on posts must be within the scope of the topic under discussion.

8. Comments and posts cannot include personally identifiable information, such as an address, phone number, social security number or other sensitive information.

9. Comments and posts cannot represent a person other than the one posting the comment.

10. Comments and posts containing links to other web sites or pages must be relevant to the topic.

11. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation is not permitted.

12. Comments and posts must not include sexual content or links to sexual content.

13. Solicitations of commerce are not allowed.

14. Information which may interfere with or compromise current investigations, police tactics and the safety or security of public safety staff and/or the public or public systems is prohibited.

15. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity is not allowed.

16. Distribution of copyrighted photographs, music, video, graphics or other content without the express permission of the copyright holder is prohibited.

B. Content Restrictions

Because communication via social media constitutes a limited public forum, the City reserves the right to reject or remove (if possible) any content that is deemed in violation of this policy or any applicable law.

C. Content Removal

Content that is deemed not suitable for posting by the administrators of the City’s social media accounts based on the criteria defined above, will then be removed, as technology allows, from the City’s social media account(s).

D. Notice

Users and visitors to the City’s social media accounts shall be notified that the intended purpose of the account is to serve as a mechanism for communication of City news, services and events and that it is a limited public forum. By posting or commenting, users agree to the terms of use outlined in this policy, which will be posted to the City’s website and linked to, as technology allows, from each of the City’s social media accounts.

E. Time of Use

The City of Mission’s social media accounts are not monitored 24/7, and as such, posts and responses should not be immediately expected. Accounts are traditionally monitored during normal business hours, designated as weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

F. Emergency Notice

As the City’s social media accounts are not monitored 24/7, users are advised NOT to use the City’s social media accounts to report a crime or emergency situation. Crime reports and requests for police, fire or emergency medical assistance must be made by dialing 9-1-1.

G. Opinions

The opinions expressed on City of Mission social media sites and those providing comments are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of the City of Mission or any employee thereof. Comments and posts by external parties on City of Mission digital media or social networking sites are not official public testimony concerning any program or project. An opinion expressed on a City of Mission digital media or social networking site is posted for discussion only and is not a substitute for a formal statement in a public hearing process. A member who posts comments contrary to the terms of use policy may be prohibited from future participation. The City of Mission reserves the right to update the Terms of Use.