{"id":2813,"date":"2022-03-27T21:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-27T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/?p=2361"},"modified":"2024-05-10T13:20:48","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T07:50:48","slug":"social-media-policy-steps-to-avoid-legal-liability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/2022\/03\/27\/social-media-policy-steps-to-avoid-legal-liability\/","title":{"rendered":"Social Media Policy: Steps To Avoid Legal Liability"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media is not a fad. It is a necessary part of modern business, and companies put a high value on their ability to connect with customers. Social media sites are a marketing marvel, and companies use them to broadcast information, produce content, and engage with customers. The use of social media and other new media tools can be a positive outlet for some\u2014but for others, it can quickly spiral into an online rage.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Social media platforms are a great way to connect with customers and promote your business. However, if you have not prepared a social media policy, you may be subject to legal liability.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-sheets-root=\"1\" data-sheets-value=\"{&quot;1&quot;:2,&quot;2&quot;:&quot;&lt;div style=&quot;color:#0E1851;margin-top:20px;font-size:28px;font-weight:bold;&quot;&gt;Related Webinars&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;width:100%;height:auto;overflow:hidden;overflow-x:auto;margin:20px 0;&quot;&gt;&lt;div style=&quot;width:calc(0 * 260px);&quot;&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&quot;}\" data-sheets-userformat=\"{&quot;2&quot;:513,&quot;3&quot;:{&quot;1&quot;:0},&quot;12&quot;:0}\"><div style=\"color:#0E1851;margin-top:20px;font-size:28px;font-weight:bold;\">Related Webinars<\/div><div style=\"width:100%;height:auto;overflow:hidden;overflow-x:auto;margin:20px 0;\"><div style=\"width:calc(3 * 260px);\"><div style=\"width:250px;height:350px;background-color:#D2E0FF;background:url(https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/assets\/images\/wdt-back.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;border-radius:10px;margin-right:10px;float:left;text-align:center;padding:25px 10px 0 10px;cursor:pointer;\" onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/details\/1834\/employee-onboarding-2026?utm_source=cp_blog'\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:135px;height:135px;border-radius:50%;border:2px solid #2B58B5;padding:3px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/image.php?src=https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/uploads\/img_upload\/1710777669_77b6186bb5aca1a2359d.jpg&w=200&h=200&zc=1&s=1\" alt=\"Speaker\"><div style=\"color:#0E1851;margin-top:5px;font-size:18px;font-weight:bold;line-height:22px;max-height:65px;overflow:hidden;\">AI at Work: Building 7 HR Onboarding Tools Live with Claude<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><div style=\"margin:10px auto 0 auto;display:inline-block;\"><div style=\"width:20px;float:left;\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" id=\"IconChangeColor\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\"><path d=\"M160 32V64H288V32C288 14.33 302.3 0 320 0C337.7 0 352 14.33 352 32V64H400C426.5 64 448 85.49 448 112V160H0V112C0 85.49 21.49 64 48 64H96V32C96 14.33 110.3 0 128 0C145.7 0 160 14.33 160 32zM0 192H448V464C448 490.5 426.5 512 400 512H48C21.49 512 0 490.5 0 464V192zM64 304C64 312.8 71.16 320 80 320H112C120.8 320 128 312.8 128 304V272C128 263.2 120.8 256 112 256H80C71.16 256 64 263.2 64 272V304zM192 304C192 312.8 199.2 320 208 320H240C248.8 320 256 312.8 256 304V272C256 263.2 248.8 256 240 256H208C199.2 256 192 263.2 192 272V304zM336 256C327.2 256 320 263.2 320 272V304C320 312.8 327.2 320 336 320H368C376.8 320 384 312.8 384 304V272C384 263.2 376.8 256 368 256H336zM64 432C64 440.8 71.16 448 80 448H112C120.8 448 128 440.8 128 432V400C128 391.2 120.8 384 112 384H80C71.16 384 64 391.2 64 400V432zM208 384C199.2 384 192 391.2 192 400V432C192 440.8 199.2 448 208 448H240C248.8 448 256 440.8 256 432V400C256 391.2 248.8 384 240 384H208zM320 432C320 440.8 327.2 448 336 448H368C376.8 448 384 440.8 384 432V400C384 391.2 376.8 384 368 384H336C327.2 384 320 391.2 320 400V432z\" id=\"mainIconPathAttribute\" stroke-width=\"1\" stroke=\"#ff0000\" filter=\"url(#shadow)\" fill=\"#FB0351\"><\/path><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"float:left;margin-left:5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;color:#FB0351;\">Jul 1st 2026 @ 01:00 PM ET<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"font-size:12px;color:#2B58B5;margin-top:-10px;\"><strong>Speaker: <\/strong>Don Phin, Esq.<\/div><div style=\"width:120px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;color:#FB0351;border:2px solid #FB0351;border-radius:30px;padding:1px 5px;margin:10px auto;\">Learn More<\/div><\/div><div style=\"width:250px;height:350px;background-color:#D2E0FF;background:url(https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/assets\/images\/wdt-back.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;border-radius:10px;margin-right:10px;float:left;text-align:center;padding:25px 10px 0 10px;cursor:pointer;\" onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/details\/1835\/payroll-deductions-2026?utm_source=cp_blog'\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:135px;height:135px;border-radius:50%;border:2px solid #2B58B5;padding:3px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/image.php?src=https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/uploads\/img_upload\/1690210566_ddeafec58b7fab473c74.png&w=200&h=200&zc=1&s=1\" alt=\"Speaker\"><div style=\"color:#0E1851;margin-top:5px;font-size:18px;font-weight:bold;line-height:22px;max-height:65px;overflow:hidden;\">Mastering Payroll Deductions: Federal, State & Voluntary Rules Explained<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><div style=\"margin:10px auto 0 auto;display:inline-block;\"><div style=\"width:20px;float:left;\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" id=\"IconChangeColor\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\"><path d=\"M160 32V64H288V32C288 14.33 302.3 0 320 0C337.7 0 352 14.33 352 32V64H400C426.5 64 448 85.49 448 112V160H0V112C0 85.49 21.49 64 48 64H96V32C96 14.33 110.3 0 128 0C145.7 0 160 14.33 160 32zM0 192H448V464C448 490.5 426.5 512 400 512H48C21.49 512 0 490.5 0 464V192zM64 304C64 312.8 71.16 320 80 320H112C120.8 320 128 312.8 128 304V272C128 263.2 120.8 256 112 256H80C71.16 256 64 263.2 64 272V304zM192 304C192 312.8 199.2 320 208 320H240C248.8 320 256 312.8 256 304V272C256 263.2 248.8 256 240 256H208C199.2 256 192 263.2 192 272V304zM336 256C327.2 256 320 263.2 320 272V304C320 312.8 327.2 320 336 320H368C376.8 320 384 312.8 384 304V272C384 263.2 376.8 256 368 256H336zM64 432C64 440.8 71.16 448 80 448H112C120.8 448 128 440.8 128 432V400C128 391.2 120.8 384 112 384H80C71.16 384 64 391.2 64 400V432zM208 384C199.2 384 192 391.2 192 400V432C192 440.8 199.2 448 208 448H240C248.8 448 256 440.8 256 432V400C256 391.2 248.8 384 240 384H208zM320 432C320 440.8 327.2 448 336 448H368C376.8 448 384 440.8 384 432V400C384 391.2 376.8 384 368 384H336C327.2 384 320 391.2 320 400V432z\" id=\"mainIconPathAttribute\" stroke-width=\"1\" stroke=\"#ff0000\" filter=\"url(#shadow)\" fill=\"#FB0351\"><\/path><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"float:left;margin-left:5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;color:#FB0351;\">Jul 9th 2026 @ 01:00 PM ET<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"font-size:12px;color:#2B58B5;margin-top:-10px;\"><strong>Speaker: <\/strong>Vicki M. Lambert, CPP<\/div><div style=\"width:120px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;color:#FB0351;border:2px solid #FB0351;border-radius:30px;padding:1px 5px;margin:10px auto;\">Learn More<\/div><\/div><div style=\"width:250px;height:350px;background-color:#D2E0FF;background:url(https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/assets\/images\/wdt-back.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;background-size:cover;border-radius:10px;margin-right:10px;float:left;text-align:center;padding:25px 10px 0 10px;cursor:pointer;\" onclick=\"location.href='https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/details\/1848\/effective-discrimination-2026?utm_source=cp_blog'\"><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width:135px;height:135px;border-radius:50%;border:2px solid #2B58B5;padding:3px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/image.php?src=https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/uploads\/img_upload\/be9bd7c0b9625126f985b421036a9339.jpg&w=200&h=200&zc=1&s=1\" alt=\"Speaker\"><div style=\"color:#0E1851;margin-top:5px;font-size:18px;font-weight:bold;line-height:22px;max-height:65px;overflow:hidden;\">What Really Happened? Conducting Effective Discrimination Investigations<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><div style=\"margin:10px auto 0 auto;display:inline-block;\"><div style=\"width:20px;float:left;\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" id=\"IconChangeColor\" height=\"16\" width=\"16\"><path d=\"M160 32V64H288V32C288 14.33 302.3 0 320 0C337.7 0 352 14.33 352 32V64H400C426.5 64 448 85.49 448 112V160H0V112C0 85.49 21.49 64 48 64H96V32C96 14.33 110.3 0 128 0C145.7 0 160 14.33 160 32zM0 192H448V464C448 490.5 426.5 512 400 512H48C21.49 512 0 490.5 0 464V192zM64 304C64 312.8 71.16 320 80 320H112C120.8 320 128 312.8 128 304V272C128 263.2 120.8 256 112 256H80C71.16 256 64 263.2 64 272V304zM192 304C192 312.8 199.2 320 208 320H240C248.8 320 256 312.8 256 304V272C256 263.2 248.8 256 240 256H208C199.2 256 192 263.2 192 272V304zM336 256C327.2 256 320 263.2 320 272V304C320 312.8 327.2 320 336 320H368C376.8 320 384 312.8 384 304V272C384 263.2 376.8 256 368 256H336zM64 432C64 440.8 71.16 448 80 448H112C120.8 448 128 440.8 128 432V400C128 391.2 120.8 384 112 384H80C71.16 384 64 391.2 64 400V432zM208 384C199.2 384 192 391.2 192 400V432C192 440.8 199.2 448 208 448H240C248.8 448 256 440.8 256 432V400C256 391.2 248.8 384 240 384H208zM320 432C320 440.8 327.2 448 336 448H368C376.8 448 384 440.8 384 432V400C384 391.2 376.8 384 368 384H336C327.2 384 320 391.2 320 400V432z\" id=\"mainIconPathAttribute\" stroke-width=\"1\" stroke=\"#ff0000\" filter=\"url(#shadow)\" fill=\"#FB0351\"><\/path><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><filter id=\"shadow\"><feDropShadow id=\"shadowValue\" stdDeviation=\".5\" dx=\"0\" dy=\"0\" flood-color=\"black\"><\/feDropShadow><\/filter><\/svg><\/div><div style=\"float:left;margin-left:5px;font-size:12px;font-weight:bold;color:#FB0351;\">Jul 14th 2026 @ 01:00 PM ET<\/div><div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div><\/div><div style=\"font-size:12px;color:#2B58B5;margin-top:-10px;\"><strong>Speaker: <\/strong>Melissa Fleischer, Esq<\/div><div style=\"width:120px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;color:#FB0351;border:2px solid #FB0351;border-radius:30px;padding:1px 5px;margin:10px auto;\">Learn More<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are a few steps to avoid legal liabilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Determine the Type of Policy You Need<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a few different types of social media policies that businesses may need to create in order to avoid potential legal liabilities. A company may need a policy for its own social media accounts, such as Facebook or Twitter, or it may have policies for its employees&#8217; use of social media platforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In either case, the policy should include provisions about:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who is responsible for managing the company&#8217;s social media accounts?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How and when will updates be made to the accounts?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What type of information should be shared on the company&#8217;s social media pages?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What consequences will employees face if they violate social media policy?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identify the Parties involved in Your Business Relationship<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to comply with social media policy, your business must have a clear understanding of who is responsible for managing the company&#8217;s social media accounts. This includes who is responsible for making updates to the accounts, what type of information should be shared, and what consequences employees will face if they violate social media policy.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Establish Guidelines for Use of the Platforms<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The social media policy should establish guidelines for the use of the platforms. This will help avoid legal liability. Guidelines should include prohibitions on unlawful content, hate speech, and cyberbullying. The policy should also state that users are responsible for their own content and must comply with all applicable laws.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Educate Employees on the Policy<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your social media policy should be distributed to employees. This will help ensure that everyone is aware of the policy and understands their obligations in relation to the use of social media platforms. The policy should also include provisions about updating information, abiding by laws, and consequences for breaking the rules.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Final Words<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your business should have a clear understanding of who is responsible for managing the company&#8217;s social media accounts. This includes who is responsible for making updates to the accounts, what type of information should be shared, and what consequences employees will face if they violate social media policy. Guidelines should be established for the use of the platforms, including prohibitions on unlawful content, hate speech, and cyberbullying. Employees must be educated on the policy and understand their obligations in relation to social media use.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By taking the time to create a social media policy, you can avoid legal liability and protect your business. Attend the Compliance Prime webinar to learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/details\/930\/facebook-firing-when-and-how\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">social media policy to avoid legal liability<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Social media is not a fad. It is a necessary part of modern business, and companies put a high value on their ability to connect with customers. Social media sites&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":2863,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hr-blog"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2813","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2813"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5263,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2813\/revisions\/5263"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.complianceprime.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}