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1 SOCIAL MEDIA ACCESS AND ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY PURPOSE The City of Cody uses social media to promote a common brand of customer service and provide community members and visitors with information that improves their day-to-day experience in Cody. Social media platforms are an extension of other means used to accomplish communicational goals, and the City of Cody official website (codywy.gov) remains the primary web presence for official information. The purpose of this policy is to enable authorized employees to engage with social media in a manner that effectively promotes the City of Cody while upholding the highest standards of professionalism and privacy. The City of Cody encourages the responsible use of these platforms to foster greater outreach to community members and facilitate public dialogue and inquiry. All employees permitted to manage official City of Cody social media platforms are expected to adhere to the standards outlined in this policy, which may be subject to amendments as deemed necessary by the City Administrator and approved by the Governing Body. PLATFORMS Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube are currently the only social media platforms approved for official use by the City of Cody. Additional platforms may only be incorporated with approval of the City Administrator. City of Cody, WY – Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy ACCESS Only employees designated by their Department Head and approved by the City Administrator will be granted access to social media administration and monitoring features. Prior to gaining access, employees will receive training on usability and best practices from an Information Technology staff member or other designees of the Information Technology Director. ---PAGE BREAK--- 2 Upon successful completion of training—unless otherwise waived—and City Administrator approval, access will be granted. Employees granted access are required to create a new work social media account linked to their City of Cody email address ([EMAIL REDACTED]). These work-associated accounts must remain entirely separate from personal accounts, and official City of Cody activity is exclusively permitted through the work account. Employees have the discretion to use their accurate full name on work accounts, but it is not a requirement. This allows for appropriate differentiation between personal and work accounts. All authentication credentials used to access social media platforms must adhere to the City’s password standards and requirements. ACCEPTABLE USE This policy outlines acceptable use of work social media accounts and applies to creating, managing, and monitoring content associated with a City of Cody official social media platform. The use of social media for personal purposes is prohibited during City of Cody work hours and on City of Cody-owned computers and devices. Additionally, authoring or sharing personal views or ideas on behalf of official City of Cody social media platforms is not permitted. City of Cody social media platforms are primarily intended for the dissemination of time-sensitive information, emergency alerts, customer service updates, and community advisories. Employees authorized to access the City of Cody’s social media platforms are limited to creating content directly relevant to the City of Cody and its associated services. To ensure that community members and visitors receive timely and appropriate responses, employees whose job roles include social media responsibilities are required to regularly participate in and monitor their assigned accounts and pages. It is also essential to keep content associated with official City of Cody social media platforms up-to-date and in accordance with the City of Cody website and other online presences. Employees are prohibited from downloading or accessing games and other unrelated entertainment features via social media platforms. Additionally, clicking on third-party advertising links on these platforms is not permitted. Employees who access and monitor the official City of Cody social media platforms are required to exercise diligence regarding the information they post. The following types of information are strictly prohibited from being posted or referenced in any way: City of Cody, WY – Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy Personally identifiable information names, Social Security numbers, credit card numbers, addresses, phone numbers, tax IDs, medical information, birthdates, case numbers, claim numbers, file numbers, authentication credentials, etc.) ---PAGE BREAK--- 3 Internal, proprietary, or private digital information that has not been publicly published or otherwise authorized for public dissemination Personal solicitations of commerce Profane language, off-color comments, or insults of any kind Sexual or pornographic content Comments that violate state or federal laws or City of Cody policies, including but not limited to those pertaining to discrimination, harassment, and Equal Opportunity Violations of copyright or intellectual property laws Negative comments regarding fellow employees, internal affairs, elected officials, or anything that could potentially discredit the City of Cody Photographs of City property or personnel that are not public Links to information unrelated or irrelevant to City business Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity Any other topics that management may identify as inappropriate To ensure professionalism and discretion on social media platforms, City of Cody employees may be encouraged—but are not required—to identify themselves with their full names when engaging with community members. All interactions must reflect a citizen-focused attitude and exceptional customer service, matching standards of other interactive scenarios. Employees are encouraged to link to relevant information on the City of Cody website whenever appropriate. All information shared on social media platforms should also be readily available on the City of Cody website, which will also include links to official social media platforms where applicable. All outstanding questions, concerns, and complaints from community members and visitors must be handled respectfully. Employees responsible for replies should notify their Department Head and the City Administrator for guidance in such cases. Employees are to engage in social media activity only within their area of responsibility or expertise; all other engagement should be referred to the proper department, division, or employee. When responding to posts and inquiries, employees must ensure their responses are meaningful, respectful, and accurate, generally within one to three business days. Employees' social media presence should consistently reflect their professional behavior. Employees are not permitted to create official City of Cody pages or department-specific resources independently. All such initiatives require direct execution by the Information Technology Director and explicit approval of the City Administrator. The Information Technology Director will be granted administrative access over any official City of Cody social media page or resource. Unauthorized pages or resources will be disabled or deleted. Should employees discover incorrect information about the City of Cody on social media platforms, City of Cody, WY – Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy ---PAGE BREAK--- 4 they are required to inform the City Administrator. Employees should refrain from attempting to correct such information or engaging in online exchanges on these topics. Management will be assigned to resolve the issue, consulting an other internal staff if necessary. All official City of Cody social media platform presences and the governing standards described herein are extensions of activities regulated by the City of Cody Personnel and Policy Manual, including Section 23, "Use of Phone, Email, and Computer Systems." Social media activity conducted on City-owned computers and mobile devices is subject to full monitoring and unannounced disclosure, per general network use policies. All tools and applications used to access official City of Cody social media platforms must be approved by the Information Technology Director. CONTENT MODERATION Content associated with the City of Cody's social media accounts—whether publicly posted or privately sent, and irrespective of the origin or author—is considered public record. All content is archived indefinitely and in full by a third-party service, in compliance with the Wyoming Public Records Act. To ensure transparency and protect citizens' First Amendment rights, employees with access to the City of Cody's official social media accounts are prohibited from deleting or hiding comments posted by the public, even if the comments are critical, unfavorable, or express negative opinions. Blocking users and accounts is also generally not permitted. The removal of a public comment is only permissible when the content clearly violates established legal or community standards. Before taking any such action, the employee is expected to document the comment capturing a screenshot) and obtain approval from their direct supervisor or the City Administrator. Acceptable reasons for comment removal or account blocking include, but are not limited to: City of Cody, WY – Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy • Hate speech and harassment: content that is profane, abusive, threatening, defamatory, or attacks an individual or group based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other protected status • Illegal activity: comments that promote or depict illegal activity • Direct threats of violence: comments that threaten harm to a person or property • Confidential information: comments that post private or personally identifiable information (PII) about any individual • Spam: comments that are commercial, promotional, or repetitive in nature and unrelated to discussions • Off-topic content: comments that are egregiously irrelevant and serve only to disrupt the conversation ---PAGE BREAK--- 5 TERMINATION OF ACCESS The ability to access social media platforms is considered a privilege, and any violation of the established guidelines may result in immediate revocation of these privileges. Additionally, such violations could lead to disciplinary actions, up to and including termination of employment. Instances concerning personal use, security breaches, or disruptions to workplace productivity may also warrant the termination of an employee's social media access and/or employment with the City of Cody. City of Cody, WY – Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy EXECUTIVE RESPONSIBILITIES The City Administrator, Information Technology Director, and other relevant management personnel will conduct an annual review of permitted social media platforms, in accordance with the Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy. They may propose new platforms to the City Council and Department Heads to broaden the City of Cody's communication channels. The City Administrator, or a designated representative, will oversee content on all official City of Cody social media platforms to ensure compliance with the Social Media Access and Acceptable Use Policy and alignment with established branding and standards.