Key points

When planning the content of your agency's social media policy, the National Archives recommends that you:

  • include information and records management guidance for social media
  • involve records management staff in the development of the policy

A sample social media policy statement is included below.

Remember to also update your agency's information and records management policy to include the management of social media records.

Your social media policy – what about records?

Did you know that when you use social media, you may be generating Commonwealth records?

These records could be defined as information that contains evidence of your agency's business activities.

Your agency or department's social media policy is an ideal place to remind staff that they need to consider the records created by their use of social media tools. 

Social media policies and protocols

In all social media interactions, public servants are bound by:

An agency's social media policy may cover matters such as security, privacy and copyright that need to be considered in the use of social media.  It should also include advice on how to manage social media records.

The level of detail that your agency includes about information and records management responsibilities will vary, but at a minimum it should include contact details for your agency's records management unit and it should refer to your agency's records management policy.

Ideally, a social media policy will include:

  • a reminder for staff that when using social media, they may be generating Commonwealth records
  • a definition of a social media record, for example: 'social media records can be defined as information which contains evidence of your agency’s business activities'.
  • the information and records management responsibilities of content creators, web administrators, ICT staff, communications staff and records management staff
  • a statement highlighting the importance of taking ownership for content, and assigning responsibility for managing records
  • clearly defined information and records management requirements and protocols for collaborative social media sites which are hosted by one or more agencies
  • information and records management practices for social media—such as how records will be captured, and how often
  • contact details for the agency or department's records management unit and a link to the records management policy for more assistance and advice.

Remember to update your agency's records management policy to include the management of social media records. The content of the two policies must complement one another and be linked to ensure they are updated and maintained together.

Sample policy statement

Staff need to create and manage accurate records of their business activities to ensure decisions and actions can be accounted for. This includes social media activities. When using social media in an official capacity, staff are creating records which provide evidence of business transactions and activity.

What should be captured?

Staff should ask themselves:

  • Does social media use in your agency produce evidence of your agency's business activities?
  • Do the records created in social media need to be captured into the records management system?
  • Are the records already captured—for example, was a final version developed, approved, captured in the records management system and later posted to the social media site? Or does the record exist only on the social media site?
  • Who owns the content (especially where there are non-Commonwealth contributors) and should it be captured?

For further advice and assistance on your responsibilities to capture records, refer to [your agency's records management policy].

How to capture content

Methods of capturing social media content as a record may vary according to the tools being used.  Contact the records management unit for specific advice.

Who is responsible—your own site

When setting up a social media site, or when using new social media, content creators should confirm processes, policies and records management roles and responsibilities with key business areas (such as web services, records management unit and ICT) to ensure that records are identified and managed properly.

The business owner who manages the content of the social media site will be responsible for capturing records of business activities.  For ephemeral content it may be sufficient to rely on the web administrator's back-up of social media sites.  However, content hosted on a third party site, such as Facebook or Twitter, will not be captured by these back-ups. They will therefore need to be captured separately, if they are of value.

Who is responsible—collaborative sites

In the case of collaborative sites not hosted by your agency, a strategy outlining records management responsibilities should be developed and made available on the site.  The agency hosting the site would usually take responsibility for managing the site itself and keeping records of this—for example, audit logs, routine back-ups, and for 'whole of site' capture as needed.  The contributors to the site should keep records of their own contributions.

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Copyright National Archives of Australia 2012