California doesn't want to force its agencies into using social media to better communicate and interact with the public -- it wants to encourage them. And that it's doing with the adoption of a social media policy that outlines the do's and don'ts of online communication tools.
The state officially adopted the use of social media tools Friday, Feb. 26, to promote communication and transparency if agencies choose to use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other sites. The policy, which participating agencies must comply with by July 1, 2010, requires that only authorized users who have been trained regarding their roles, responsibilities and security risks, have access to social media sites while at work as a state employee."It requires that due diligence is performed when departments move ahead in their social networking sites," Office of the State Chief Information Officer (OCIO) spokesman Bill Maile said. "This is yet one more way we can use technology to allow better communication and transparency for the many Californians who do business with the state."
In its IT policy letter, the OCIO provides guidelines to managers, such as preventing unnecessary functions like instant messaging or file exchange within social media. Accompanying the policy is a Social Media Standard to help state agencies consider the various risk factors associated with using social media sites.
