{"id":898,"date":"2019-03-15T21:29:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-15T10:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brolly.com.au\/?p=898"},"modified":"2020-10-18T12:56:49","modified_gmt":"2020-10-18T01:56:49","slug":"power-danger-social-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brolly.io\/au\/blog\/2019\/03\/15\/power-danger-social-media\/","title":{"rendered":"The power (and danger!) of social media"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

With great power comes great responsibility<\/p>Spider-Man (and a few others)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a saying not only relevant for Marvel fans. Social media has the potential to be immensely powerful in disseminating information and spreading the word about important initiatives. At the same time, it can also be dangerous and even put limitations on your daily life as a member of the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That sounds complex, and it\u2019s by design. The constant contradiction of social media is been a consistent topic in Australian politics, especially since no current laws exist to govern social media use in the public and private sphere. Instead, most rely on policies and guidelines from their employers, which has brought up some very significant points.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, you can use social media to your advantage. However, you also must make sure that you remain compliant with your state regulations. How can you reconcile the two? It starts with a better understanding of the duality of the medium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The power of social media in government<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re at all familiar with social media, you probably know about its powers. Half the Australian population logs into Facebook<\/a> on a daily basis, and other platforms like YouTube and Instagram are not far behind. That large audience pool has made social media perhaps the single biggest communication channel for any government entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The possibilities are significant. You can reach anything from a wide range of users to a very segmented audience relevant to your messaging strategy and goals. Government agencies across the country use social media to educate and inform<\/a>, and have done so with increasing success over the last few years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dangers of social media in government<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With social media being such a powerful communication tool for individuals as well as businesses, its users will naturally include government employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s only natural to assume that on your private account, using social media in your private time and on your own devices, you\u2019re free to disconnect your messaging from your employing agency or department. In reality, that\u2019s far from the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The consequences of governmental social media regulations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As social media has become increasingly pervasive, local governments have begun to put in place regulations that put limitations on anyone who works for them, with very real consequences for those who don\u2019t comply with the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even if you have a private Facebook page, working for the government means that more likely than not, several regulations limit you when acting on social media. Whether or not you know them, you must follow them or face the consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That became astoundingly clear just last year, when a local councillor from the Shire of Esperance got into hot water. She was forced to apologise and briefly saw her job threatened because she posted what turned out to be fake news<\/a> about a rivalling councillor on a page that was not connected to her job. But that didn\u2019t matter \u2013 once the comments were live, she was in trouble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Australian Public Service Commission: a case study in social media policy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As is the case in Esperance, agencies and local governments are increasingly putting policies in place that restrict their employees from getting too personal on their favourite social networks. Take the Australian Public Service Commission as an example, which published social media guidelines last year to significant press coverage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its guidelines, the APSC asks its employees<\/a> to remain impartial and act as a representative of the organisation at all times. Failure to follow through is considered breach of conduct, which can lead to significant consequences from fines to suspensions. Under the policy, APSC employees cannot:<\/p>\n\n\n\n