What is social media archiving and other common questions

The best way to archive all your social media is to invest in a secure, compliant archiving service. The service should provide 24/7 access to your records and the ability to export records. You can also archive your social media posts using Facebook, Instagram or Twitter archive features, but these channels provide a one-off, non-integrated archive that does not allow you to tag, add explanatory notes and export in multiple formats. 

In Canada, social media interactions used for official business purposes are considered records under federal and provincial recordkeeping laws. Agencies are required to manage these digital records in compliance with acts like the Access to Information Act and provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Acts (FOIPPA). These laws mandate retaining and managing records to respond to public inquiries, legal proceedings, or audits.

Organizations engaging on platforms like Facebook, X/Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube must ensure their social media records meet these regulations, as they may be subject to access-to-information requests, legal challenges, and regulatory oversight. This aligns with global standards for transparency and accountability in public communication.

A social media archiving solution like Brolly ensures your digital records are captured and preserved in compliance with these legal requirements, offering transparency and accountability.

Social media archiving is the creation of a secure, accessible record of your organisation’s social media record that complies with recordkeeping legislation.  Social media archiving can sometimes be done within the social media channel, but this is not always a compliant approach. Considerations when archiving social media include whether you are capturing the context of each record, along with its metadata, links and media. 

A social media archive is a complete, compliant, secure record of your interactions with customers and community on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. It’s a good idea to use a purpose-built social media archiving tool to create your social media archive as this will ensure your records are captured with context, metadata and media, keeping them compliant with recordkeeping legislation and able to be uploaded into your electronic records and document management system (eRDMS)

Not everything posted on social media is public record. Check your state recordkeeping agency for details that relate to your organisation. As a general rule, state and federal legislation requires that organisations create and maintain a compliant archive of any communication that relates to service delivery, public consultation, formal advice or guidance, or starts an internal process, such as a request for information or complaint.

More and more organisations are using social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn as communication tools. This increase in usage comes with an increase in risk. Here are our 3 top risks to consider if your organisation is using social media to communicate with your customers, constituents or community.

1. When your organisation publishes content on a third party platform, you cannot control what happens to that content.  It can be deleted or removed by the platform’s owner (e.g. Facebook)
2. Public content such as posts and comments can be edited or deleted and that can remove your ability to access the content. 
3. If you’re publishing to a social media platform, public comments and other actions can impact your brand and commercial reputation. 

The best way to manage these risks is with a purpose-built social media archiving tool like Brolly.

In Canada, social media recordkeeping is regulated by federal and provincial laws to ensure transparency and compliance. The Access to Information Act mandates federal institutions maintain records for access requests, while the Privacy Act governs personal information management on digital platforms. Provincial FOIPPA laws address the retention of public records, including social media interactions, and the Canada Evidence Act ensures electronic records meet legal standards. These laws help organizations and governments manage and disclose digital records responsibly.

In Canada, provincial laws may add requirements for managing social media records. Refer to the relevant FOIPPA or public records office for details. Federally, the Access to Information Act and Library and Archives Canada offer guidance.

In Canada, archiving social media records is crucial for government bodies and regulated sectors like education, healthcare, and financial services. Federal laws such as the Access to Information Act and provincial FOIPPA laws require preserving digital communications, including social media, to ensure transparency, compliance, and accountability. These regulations help organizations meet legal obligations, respond to public inquiries, and maintain trust.

Beyond compliance, archiving protects valuable data from risks such as platform outages or content removal by social media companies like Facebook, X/ Twitter, or Instagram. By maintaining a secure and compliant archive, organizations can safeguard their digital communications for purposes ranging from internal reporting to legal evidence or responding to FOIA requests.

When you archive your social media data, you’re making a secure, authenticated, contextually complete copy of the records at a given point in time. Social media records can change from minute to minute with an edit, a new comment, a deletion, a change of image or any number of updates. The archive provides a secure, reliable record of these ever-changing digital-born records and interactions.