GSA updates its social media guide for federal agencies
The new Social Media Navigator includes a checklist of more than a dozen requirements to consider before getting started on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter or other social networking sites.
If you thought federal agencies' use of social media was a breeze, think again. The General Services Administration published its new 26-page Social Media Navigator on May 18 with lots of advice to consider while establishing a presence on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or other popular social networking websites.
Agencies should minimize risks by being aware of all their responsibilities, GSA advises. The list of requirements is quite long and includes complying with policies on product endorsements; ensuring Section 508 accessibility; protecting privacy and intellectual property; and complying with lobbying, political activity and Federal Advisory Committee Act laws. The requirements also include following guidelines on records management and information collection, plain language use, data quality, access for those with limited English-speaking skills, cookies, and usability.
In addition, agencies need to make sure they have content review policies and disclaimers in place, blog comment policies and an incident response plan in case the social network is hit by a virus or worm. Those are listed among the items on a risk mitigation checklist included in the guide.