Northern Territory · Government

Official social media in Northern Territory can be subject to its recordkeeping laws.

The Information Act 2002 (NT) and the Information Act 2002 (NT), Part 3 (freedom of information) can reach posts, comments and replies made on official accounts. Brolly captures them automatically so councils and agencies can answer a FOI application without relying on screenshots.

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Brolly illustration of a records officer at a laptop
Know your legislation

Four things shape the record in Northern Territory.

The records Act, the access regime, retention and disposal, and the authority that oversees them — each named from the legislation and linked to its source. Confirm current requirements with your records authority and legal team. Sources last reviewed 21 August 2026.

Records act

Information Act 2002 (NT)

A single Act covers freedom of information, privacy and records management in the Territory. Public sector organisations must keep full and accurate records of their activities and manage them under the records management standards issued under Part 9, disposing of them only as those standards allow. Information Act 2002

Access to information

Information Act

A public sector organisation usually has 30 days from receiving a valid application to decide it, with extensions available where third parties must be consulted or the application involves a large amount of information. Request term: FOI application · Information Act 2002 (NT), Part 3 (freedom of information)

Retention & disposal

Records retention and disposal schedules issued under the NT records management standards (Department of Corporate and Digital Development)

Retention follows the function the record documents. Social media content is kept under the same disposal schedule as the business activity it evidences. Retention and disposal authorities

Records authority & oversight

NT Archives Service and the Department of Corporate and Digital Development (government records)

NT Archives Service and the Department of Corporate and Digital Development (government records) · Records and information management standardsOversight: Office of the Information Commissioner Northern Territory

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Information Act 2002 (NT)
Archiving Social Media: A Guide For NT Government
NT lawAustralia-wide lawRecordsChecklist
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Social Media Legislation Guide.

The NT edition, written for records and communications teams in Northern Territory government.

Northern Territory and Australia-wide legislation, side by side Records obligations explained in plain English Bonus compliance checklist inside
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In their words
“Recorded information in any form (including data in a computer system) that is required to be kept by a PSO as evidence of the activities or operations of the organisation.”

Definition of a record, NT public sector organisations records and information management standards — read the guidance

For councils

Local Government Act 2019 (NT)

Councils are public sector organisations under the Information Act; elected members' official-capacity communications can be council records.

  • Integrity body: Department of Housing, Local Government and Community Development

Social media archiving for councils

Brolly illustration of records being organised for a request
How Brolly helps

Meeting the obligation in the NT, without screenshots.

Capture every official channel as it happens

Brolly connects to Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok through official APIs and keeps posts, comments, replies, edits and deletions with their metadata and a digital checksum. That helps you meet the recordkeeping expectations set by the NT Archives Service and the Department of Corporate and Digital Development (government records).

  • Information Act-ready exports in PDF, CSV, HTML or JSON, with chain of custody preserved
  • Search by account, date, keyword or author, then export the set a records officer needs
See the archiveProtect and moderation

Retention aligned to your authority, records in your EDRMS

Set retention to follow your retention and disposal authority, so social media records are kept for as long as the business activity they evidence and disposed of on your terms. The Content Manager integration sends records into your EDRMS alongside the rest of your records.

  • Retention and legal hold you control, applied per account
  • Records stored on AWS cloud servers located in Australia
Content Manager integration
Straight answers

Questions NT records teams ask

Can NT council or agency social media content be a record?
Yes, it can. The Information Act 2002 defines a record as recorded information in any form that a public sector organisation must keep as evidence of its activities. A post, comment or message made in the course of council or agency business can meet that description. Your records standards and disposal schedule decide what is kept.

Source: Information Act 2002 (NT) · NT Archives Service and the Department of Corporate and Digital Development (government records): Records and information management standards

How long does an NT organisation have to decide an FOI application?
Usually 30 days from receiving a valid application, with extensions where third parties must be consulted or the request is large. Because one Act covers FOI, privacy and records management, a social media archive helps with all three.

Source: Information Act 2002 (NT), Part 3 (freedom of information) · Office of the Information Commissioner Northern Territory

What about emergencies, when posting is fastest?
Cyclone, flood and fire updates are often the records most likely to be asked about later. Capturing them automatically means the comms team can keep posting while the record keeps itself, including what was changed or removed and when.
How does Brolly help a Territory organisation meet these obligations?
Brolly captures official accounts continuously, keeps posts, comments, edits and deletions searchable with their metadata, and exports them in formats your records team can file or produce for an application. It helps you meet the Information Act's records and FOI requirements; it does not replace your standards or legal advice.

Nothing is lost.

See complete capture on your own NT channels in a 20-minute walkthrough. Records teams welcome.

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