Template Notes
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This template is intended to provide sample content for an employee education document
communicating social media risks, company policy, and guidelines to help mitigate risk.
This template is intended to serve only as sample content and does not represent legal advice.
Consult with your attorney for legal advice.
Although any portion of this template can be modified, highlighted items indicated areas that
require specific customization
The final version of this document should be distributed to any employees allowed to use social
media. For example, it may be added to an employee handbook or posted to a corporate Intranet.
This content may copied and pasted into your own documents, or you can remove the background
watermark using document layout/background properties.
Employee Social Media Acceptable Use Policy
Overview
[Insert Company Name] recognizes that there are legitimate business [and personal?] reasons for using
social media at work or using corporate computing resources. To enable employees to take advantage
of the business value of these sites and to promote an open, trusting, collaborative workplace, [Insert
Company Name] policy allows [designated or all?] employees to use social media within the guidelines
specified below.
What is Social Media?
Social media includes any Web site in which visitors are able to publish information to a larger group.
Information shared may include (but is not limited to) personal information, opinions, research,
commentary, or business information. Examples of such destinations include large branded entities
such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. However, blogs, special interest forums, user
communities are also considered social media.
Inappropriate Content
While social media contains legitimate business and personal content, they also include content that is
inappropriate for the workplace including nudity, violence, abused drugs, sex, and gambling. Therefore,
the same inappropriate content policy that applies to the broader Web, also applies to content found
within social media. Inappropriate content should not be accessed by employees while at work, or while
using company resources. Employees should use common sense and consideration for others in
deciding which content is appropriate for the workplace. In addition, the company employs technical
controls to provide reminders, audit, and enforce this policy.
Productivity
[Insert Company Name] recognizes that employees have a need, at times, to conduct personal business
within social media while at work or using company resources. Therefore, [Insert Company Name]
allows limited access to non-business social media content. For example, employees are allowed to
access personal communications applications, email, and blog content within social media for a quota of
up to [Insert Quota Time] per day. It is the responsibility of the employee to ensure that personal
business does not affect work quality or productivity. This policy is consistent with [Insert Company
Name] productivity policy defined for the broader Web outside of social media. The company employs
technical controls to provide reminders, audit, and enforce this policy.
Content Publishing and Confidential Information Policy
Authorization to Represent the Company in Social Media
Only those persons officially designated by [Insert Company Name] have the authorization represent the
company on employee sponsored social media pages or other social media pages. For a list of users and
groups authorized to represent the company, refer to [Insert Reference Document or Attachment]. If
and when members of [Insert Company Name] engage in advocacy for the company and have the
authorization to participate in social media, they should identify themselves as such.
Content Publishing and Confidentiality Guidelines
The following are policy guidelines regarding what you should and should not do when publishing
content in social media. These guidelines apply to all social media publishing whether personal or
company-sponsored. Employees are responsible for content they publish in social media and can be
held personally liable for content published. Employees can also be subject to disciplinary action by
[Insert Company Name] for publishing inappropriate or confidential content. These guidelines only cover
a sample of all possible content publishing scenarios and are not a substitute for good judgment.
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DO know and follow all privacy and confidentiality guidelines in the [Insert Company Name]
Employee Handbook. All guidelines in the handbook, as well as laws such as copyright, fair use
and financial disclosure laws apply to social media.
DO NOT disclose or use [Insert Company Name] confidential or proprietary information or that
of any other person or company. For example, ask permission before posting someone's picture
in a social network or publishing in a blog a conversation that was meant to be private.
DO NOT comment on [Insert Company Name] stock price or confidential financial information
such as future business performance or business plans.
DO NOT cite or reference customers, partners or suppliers without their written approval.
DO identify yourself. Some individuals work anonymously, using pseudonyms or false screen
names. [Insert Company Name] discourages that practice.
DO be professional. If you have identified yourself as a [Insert Company Name] employee
within a social website, you are connected to your colleagues, managers and even [Insert
Company Name] customers. You should ensure that content associated with you is consistent
with your work at [Insert Company Name].
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DO ask permission – to publish or report on conversations that are meant to be private or
internal to [Insert Company Name] and when in doubt, always ask permission from the [Insert
Company Name] legal department.
DO speak in the first person when engaging in personal social media communications. Make it
clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of [Insert Company Name].
DO use a disclaimer – If you publish personal social media communications [Insert Company
Name] and it has something to do with the work you do or subjects associated with [Insert
Company Name], use a disclaimer such as this: "The postings on this site are my own and don't
necessarily represent those of [Insert Company Name]."
DO link back to the source – When you do make a reference to a customer, partner or supplier,
where possible link back to the source.
DO be aware of your association with [Insert Company Name] social media – If you identify
yourself as a [Insert Company Name] employee, ensure your profile and related content is
consistent with how you wish to present yourself with colleagues and customers.
DO use your best judgment – Remember that there are always consequences to what you
publish. If you're about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit
uncomfortable, review the suggestions above and think about why that is. If you're still unsure,
and it is related to [Insert Company Name] business, feel free to discuss it with your manager or
simply do not publish it. You have sole responsibility for what you post to your blog or publish in
any form of social media.
DO NOT use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be
acceptable in the [Insert Company Name] workplace. You should also show proper
consideration for others' privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or
inflammatory.
DO NOT conduct confidential business with a customer or partner business through your
personal or other social media.
DO NOT register accounts using the [Insert Company Name] brand name or any other
unregistered or registered trademarks.
[Insert Company Name] employs technical controls to provide reminders, monitor, and enforce these
guidelines.
Malware and Online Crime Prevention
Social media is commonly used by the online criminal community to deliver malware and carry out
schemes designed to damage property or steal confidential information. To minimize risk related to
such threats, adhere to the following guidelines. While these guidelines help to reduce risk, they do not
cover all possible threats and are not a substitute for good judgment.
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Do not use the same passwords for social media that you use to access company computing
resources.
Do not follow links on Social media pages posted by individuals or organizations that you do not
know.
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Do not download software posted or recommended by individuals or organizations that you do
not know.
Use a security application such as Defensio (www.defensio.com) to protect personal and
company social media pages.
If any content you find on any social media Web page looks suspicious in any way, close your
browser and do not return to that page.
Configure social media accounts to encrypt communications whenever possible. Facebook,
Twitter and others support encryption as an option. This is extremely important for roaming
users who connect via public Wi-Fi networks.
[Insert Company Name] employs technical controls to provide reminders, audit, and enforce these
guidelines.