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Government Use of Social Media The Legal Issues
Presented to the Westchester Municipal
Planning FederationOctober 24, 2011
David A. Menken
Free Speech and First Amendment Issues
Compliance with Legal Requirements
The Two Big Issues
First Amendment:◦ "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Application of First Amendment to Local Government - Gitlow v. New York (US Supreme Court1925)
Application to Government Use of Social Media
◦ Limitations on Speech by the Public◦ Limitations on Speech by Government Employees
Free Speech and the First Amendment
Traditional public forum A place which by tradition has been devoted to public assembly, such as a park, sidewalk, in front of a government building.
These are permitted substantial leeway from a control perspective.
Designated public forum A specific place open for public discourse, such as a public board meeting.
Government restriction expected, but it must be narrowly tailored to serve a significant government interest and leave open a sizeable channel for communication.
Non-public forum A places which traditionally is not open to the public, such as a school, jail, hospital.
Government may impose content-based restrictions if they are reasonable.
Limitations on Speech by the Public
There must be a compelling government interest to restrict participation.
There should be a "policy" to provide for orderly public participation.
There should be a neutral moderator who can maintain some level of control.
Appropriate Restrictions on the Public
Key question: whether restriction on a government employee's post is permitted by the First Amendment.
General Rule: Government employees have diminished First Amendment rights
Parameter: Is the post regarding a topic of government concern?
Restrictions on Government Employees
Model 1 Strict Internal Controls
One government site, with one person or group responsible for all postings.
Model 2 Distributed Control Control is distributed to several groups within the government, but on one site, with one gatekeeper
Model 3 No internal controls Each department has its own site, subject only to generalized government policy, and staff has un-moderated use of social sites.
Models for Managing Content by the Government
Key question: whether restriction on a government employee's post is permitted by the First Amendment.
General Rule: Government employees have diminished First Amendment rights
Parameter: Is the post regarding a topic of government concern?
Restrictions on Government Employees
Model 1 Strict Internal Controls
One government site, with one person or group responsible for all postings.
Model 2 Distributed Control Control is distributed to several groups within the government, but on one site, with one gatekeeper
Model 3 No internal controls Each department has its own site, subject only to generalized government policy, and staff has un-moderated use of social sites.
Models for Managing Content by the GovernmentSource: New York State Archives - Records Advisory: Preliminary Guidance on Social Media," 5/24/2010.
Freedom of Information Act
Open Meetings Law
Record Retention Laws
Personal Privacy Protection Law
Records and Open Meetings Laws
Requirement to Make Records Available -
◦ Each entity subject to the provisions of this article, within five business days of the receipt of a written request for a record reasonably described, shall …
Public Officers Law §89(3)(a)
Definition of a "Record“ -
◦ "Record" means any information kept, held, filed, produced or reproduced by, with or for an agency or the state legislature, in any physical form whatsoever including, but not limited to … computer tapes or discs…..
Public Officers Law §86(4)
Obligation to Produce -
◦ Nothing in this article shall be construed to require any entity to prepare any record not possessed or maintained by such entity…. When an agency has the ability to retrieve or extract a record or data maintained in a computer storage system with reasonable effort, it shall be required to do so.
Public Officers Law §89(3)(a)
Freedom of Information Act
Is content on a social media site a "record" as defined in FOIL?
State of the Law - "Maybe"
FOIL is to be construed "liberally"
Settled law: government data is subject to FOIL even if not in "physical form“ – e.g., email!
Is this an Acceptable Presumption: Email/SMS and Social Media content should be treated the same?
Legal Issues for FOIL
Definition of a "Record" is Different - Broader
◦ "Record" means any book, paper, map, photograph, or other information-recording device, regardless of physical form or characteristic, that is made, produced, executed, or received by any local government or officer thereof pursuant to law or in connection with the transaction of public business.
Arts and Cultural Affairs Law §57.17(d)(4)
Record Retention
It shall be the responsibility of every local officer
◦ to maintain records to adequately document the transaction of public business;
◦ to retain and have custody of such records for so long as the records are needed for the
conduct of the business of the office;
◦ to adequately protect such records;
◦ to pass on to his successor records needed for the continuing conduct of business of the office.
Arts and Cultural Affairs Law §57.25
In towns, records no longer needed for the conduct of the business of the office shall be transferred to the custody of the town clerk for their safe-keeping and ultimate disposal.
Arts and Cultural Affairs Law §57.25(a)
What the Law Requires
Issue: Is social media content a record for "record retention laws"?
As with FOIL, to date no case law or opinions as to whether social media content qualifies.
According to the NYS Archives:
"Because the technology is new, it’s not yet clear to what extent traditional records retention and disposition practices apply to social media content."
http://www.archives.nysed.gov/a/records/mr_social_media.shtml
Washington State considers posts to social networking to be Public Records.
North Carolina also considers posts to be Public Records:
"Posts and comments to and from me, in connection with the transaction of public business, is subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties."
White Plains' information policy makes no mention of social media
Legal Issues for Records Retention
Open Meetings Law §103(a):
“Every meeting of a public body shall be open to the general public…” [exception for executive sessions].
Open Meetings Law
Issues:
◦ When do interactions of Public officials on social media sites constitute meetings in accordance with the NY Open Meetings Law.
◦ What if a majority of a public body's members post on a local government's social media site on a matter before them?
No case law - No legal opinions
Legal Issues for Open Meetings Law
NYS enacted the Personal Privacy Protection Law (Public Officers Law, Art. 6-A) in 1984 to recognize public concern about privacy and the relationship between government and the people.
The law is intended to protect your privacy by regulating the manner in which the state collects, maintains and disseminates personal information about you.
Personal Privacy Protection Law
Grants rights of access to a person for his/her records that are maintained by state agencies;
Permits a person to correct or amend information if he/she believe that it is inaccurate or irrelevant;
Prohibits an agency from collecting personal information, unless it is "relevant and necessary" to a purpose of the agency that must be accomplished by law;
Requires an agency, when it seeks personal information, to tell the target why the information is being collected, where it will be kept, and how it will be used
Generally, the Personal Privacy Protection Law:
It is possible that a government's use of social media tools will result in the creation of records subject to the requirement s of the Personal Privacy Protection Law.
Example: Cookies left on a person’s computer!
To date, no law on this.
Are the providers' terms of service compatible with New York law?
What are the site conditions on use and access privileges?
Who owns the data?
What is the potential liability to the provider?
What are the providers' terms with respect to venue and jurisdiction?
What About Service Providers' Policies?
Dispute Resolution Venue (per standard terms, venue would be Santa Clara
County, California)
Governing Law (per standard terms, California law would apply)
Indemnifications (per standard terms, government pays Facebook’s legal fees)
Disclaimer Requirements
Facebook – among others - has Amended Terms for State and Local Governments
Which sites can be used What types of information and opinion are to be
included/excluded Who can post Use of a moderator/gatekeeper Policy for deleting material which is spam, off-topic,
abusive, profane, or violates privacy or contains confidential information
Policy for FOIL production Policy for archiving Acceptable Use Policy for Public and Government Users Privacy Policy
Local Governments Should Have Social Media Policies!
If you have any questions please ask now, or contact me:
David Menken
McCarthy Fingar LLP
11 Martine Avenue
White Plains NY 10601
