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Tag Archives: personal social media accounts

@StateDept Sends Reminder on Policies Related to Employees’ Use of Personal Social Media

June 15, 2021 By domani spero in Career Employees, Foreign Service, Media, Politics, Realities of the FS, Regulations, Security, Social Media, State Department, Trends Tags: 21 STATE 33406, ALDAC, digital platforms, efficiency of the service, personal social media accounts
13 Going on 14 — GFM: https://gofund.me/32671a27

 

 

Remember back in March when we wrote: Three Current/Former @StateDept Employees Float to the Top in Crowded Bad News Cycle? 
In April, the State Department issued a cable reminding employees that they “should be aware of their responsibilities and the potential consequences to official Department business of personal social media activity and communications that occur on digital platforms (such as WhatsApp, texts, emails, and instant messages).  Consequences to Department business can include the disruption of Department operations and impairment of working relationships.”
The cable notes that “Employees must comply with all applicable Department rules related to activity on personal social media and digital platforms, including Hatch Act limitations and the Department’s guidance on political activities.”
Employees are reminded that if they “engage in public communications on matters of Departmental concern (as outlined in 3 FAM 4173) through their personal social media accounts must seek advance review.  The Bureau of Global Public Affairs conducts this review for employees assigned domestically.  Employees assigned abroad must seek review from their Chief of Mission and should abide by post’s media policy.”
Employees are advised that they “may not use personal social media accounts for official communications and must not claim to represent the Department, the U.S. government, or U.S. government policies on personal social media accounts (10 FAM 181-182).”
The cable warns that “Failure to follow Department policies on personal social media and communications through digital platforms may result in a proposal for disciplinary action, up to and including separation.”
The ALDAC also notes that the guidance “is not meant to infringe or restrict employees’ freedom of expression; it is a reminder that employees should be mindful of how their social media use may interfere with the Department’s ability to effectively and efficiently carry out its mission and responsibilities.”
Under “Communicate Responsibly” the guidance says in part:

Social media activity or messaging on digital platforms that results in disruption to the efficiency of the service or workplace may impact an employee’s assignment, security clearance, performance evaluation, or otherwise have professional repercussions, including disciplinary action.  Likewise, when an employee who uses official Department equipment, like their work computer or cell phone, to make or post communication that has a derogatory effect on the mission or workplace, the employee may be subject to disciplinary action.  Some examples of potentially disruptive activity or messaging may include:



·         Making unfavorable or disparaging comments about one’s colleagues or supervisors; 
·         Referring to a host country or its living conditions in disparaging terms;
·         Posting about activities that are illegal or otherwise proscribed in a host country;
·         Making jokes about topics that are culturally sensitive in a host country;
·         Making comments disparaging to another individual based on race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or national origin; or
·         Posting comments that are critical of or reflect negatively on a mission or a mission’s programs.

Under “Security Issues”, the guidance says:

 15.  In addition to the prohibition on disclosing sensitive, classified, and other protected nonpublic information discussed above, employees abroad may not transmit, publish, or stream live video or photographs from inside Post or Chief of Mission facilities without clearance from the Regional Security Officer (RSO), per established procedures for approved public events.


16.  Engaging in online and digital activities can be a security risk.  Posting information to personal social media accounts, or in messaging groups in any capacity or format, could allow ill-intentioned actors to leverage employees’ information for malicious purposes, including coercion, intimidation, or embarrassment.  It could also potentially expose employees to counterintelligence operations. 

17.  Department employees are encouraged to implement the strongest privacy and security settings offered for their personal social media accounts and to exercise caution when sharing information in messaging groups in order to prevent malicious actors from viewing or accessing their personal information.  This does not ensure, however, that any information posted on these forums or others will either remain private or prevent others from seeking to gain leverage or influence over Department employees.  More information and tips on securing personal social media accounts are available in the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), Directorate of Cyber and Technology’s (CTS) Cybersecurity Awareness Social Media Guide. 

Below is the section for “The Hatch Act and Political Activities”:

20.  Department employees are generally permitted to express opinions about political topics on personal social media accounts so long as they do not:
 
·         Claim to represent the Department or U.S. government when expressing those views;
·         Disclose sensitive or classified information;
·         Address matters of Departmental concern (or the employee seeks the appropriate advance review if they do); or
·         Express themselves in a manner inconsistent with applicable Department rules, including the Hatch Act or the Department’s guidance on political activities (see Refs B and C for further information).

(Note to self: Search for B) 19 STATE 65258 (Political Activities Guidance) and C) 20 STATE 71636 (2020 Hatch Act/Political Activities).
No doubt this reminder was prompted by this case and this other one where career State Department employees gave the agency a headache for what they wrote and/or broadcast on social media.  Guidance like this may dissuade some employees from being vocal about their opinions on social media even in private accounts. However, given the current polarization in this country, it is also possible that some employees will not be discouraged, and will be ready and prepared for the official push back.
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KittyLeaks: @StateDept Personnel May Not Direct Subordinates to Create Content For Personal and Related Accounts

August 23, 2019 By domani spero in Foreign Service, Huh? News, KittyLeaks, Political Appointees, Realities of the FS, Regulations, Social Media, Spouses, State Department, Technology and Work Tags: KittyLeaks, personal gain, personal social media accounts, Social Media

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@StateDept Issues Guidance For Official Communication Using Social Media, What’s Missing?

February 8, 2017 By domani spero in Ambassadors, Regulations, Social Media, State Department, Technology and Work, Top Ranks, Trends, U.S. Missions Tags: 10 FAM 180, personal social media accounts, Social Media, social media spokespersons 1 Comment

Posted: 3:17 am  ET
Updated: 2/9, 8:20 pm PT
[twitter-follow screen_name=’Diplopundit’]

 

On January 17, 2017, the State Department issued a new Foreign Affairs Manual guidance “for senior officials and other employees whose positions require them to engage in official communications on behalf of the State Department over social media.” These officials and employees “must not use personal social media accounts to do so.”  They are required to use official social media accounts “created and owned by the Department.”

The new rules say that Department social media spokespersons must be instructed before they begin their positions that they will not be able to use their personal social media accounts for official communication.  When Department social media spokespersons begin their positions, they are provided access to official social media accounts, and they will lose access to those accounts when they leave that position.  Whenever possible, the same account is passed from one incumbent in a position to the next.  As such, account names include only the office or position (e.g., @USEmbConsularManila, @USAmbManila); they do not include personal names.

“In order to put a “human face” on the Department’s social media presence, Department social media spokespersons are authorized, but not required, to post certain kinds of personal content to their official accounts (e.g., posts about family news, pictures of pets, discussions of hobbies).  This personal content may be considered official communications and must comply with, among other things, restrictions on partisan political activities, endorsements of commercial goods or services, fundraising and solicitations, official actions affecting financial interests, and the publication of information that could compromise the security of the individual or others.”

The guidance notes that all accounts that have been used for official communications are considered Department accounts, and are either retained by the Department for use by the next incumbent or retired in accordance with applicable records disposition schedules, as appropriate.  The content of such accounts is also retired in accordance with applicable records disposition schedules.

The guidance says that missions, bureaus, or offices must maintain a list of their authorized official social media accounts and the credentials for those accounts.  Accounts are created in accordance with 5 FAM 793. It looks like they’ve got tons of work to do.

The new regs do not identify which senior officials, nor specifically mentions ambassadors, or principal offices as required to do this, but the regs cites “senior officials and other employees whose positions require them to engage in official communications on behalf of the State Department over social media.” One example cited is the U.S. Ambassador to Manila Twitter account, @USAmbManila, which adheres to the Twitter handle convention required under 10 FAM 180.

The regs also does not include guidance on what to do with existing social media accounts, nor a time frame when these senior officials must start using Department-created social media accounts. What if senior officials continue using their personal social media accounts despite these updated rules, what then? 10 FAM 180 doesn’t say, but a quick review of State Department social media accounts show that some social media accounts (@USAmbMongolia, @USAmbNepal, @USAmbManila, @StateDG, @WHASpeaks, etc.) have adhered to these rules but a good number of senior officials still do not appear to be in compliance with 10 FAM 180.

Note from examples below that Joe Crook, spokesperson for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs uses @WHASpeaks as his Twitter handle instead of his name.  The US Ambassador to Mongolia Jennifer Z. Galt uses @USAmbMongolia not @JenniferZGalt. Similarly, the US Ambassador to Nepal Alaina B. Teplitz uses @USAmbNepal not @AlainaBTeplitz. As well, per 10 FAM 180, Director General Arnold Chacon’s does not use his name as his Twitter handle but @StateDG, and Acting Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Bruce Wharton uses @UnderSecPD on Twitter instead of a personalized handle. This makes the transition of these accounts to the successor to these positions seamless, and painless. We think this also help ensure that every official encumbering a new position does not start from scratch in their social media networks after every turn-over.  And since they’re considered official communication, they must also be considered federal records for retention purposes.

@AmbCKennedy with 134K followers is now an archived account; a new account @USAmbJapan, currently an egghead and a protected account went up last month presumably waiting for the next U.S. Ambassador to Tokyo to show up and build his/her new network.  @AmbPower44 with 625K followers is now archived, and her successor @nikkihaley with 218K followers assumed office at @USUN without assuming an official handle.  Except wait, the US Ambassador to the US UN has cabinet rank which gives the current ambassador (and the previous one) direct access to POTUS without having to go through the State Department, so we don’t even know if the FAM has any meaning in this specific case.  That said, there are obviously other officials who are not in compliance with 10 FAM 180. We’ll have to see what State will do about those accounts.

The importance of citizen diplomacy remains a lodestone for our foreign policy efforts. #GlobalTies2017 #UNITYinCOMMUNITY pic.twitter.com/gU6EUSmp1A

— Bruce Wharton (@UnderSecPD) February 9, 2017

Congratulations to @nikkihaley, new US Ambassador to the United Nations. And a @ClemsonUniv alum 😊 pic.twitter.com/daumjdR3fy

— Kristie Kenney (@KristieKenney) January 25, 2017

Welcomed to D.C. #Philippine National Security Advisor Esperon & Secretary for Communications Andanar; discussed enduring US-Filipino ties pic.twitter.com/jVzNHGYQpG

— W. Patrick Murphy (@WPatrickMurphy) January 20, 2017

Great air show today @ the graduation ceremony of the 4th class of Leader Muhammad Bin Abdalla Al Attiya Air College. Alf mabrouk! 🛩 pic.twitter.com/nxa7qVMSdO

— Dana Shell Smith (@AmbDana) January 25, 2017

US is proud to lend support to combat wildfires in #Chile & applauds others making donations and volunteering. See: https://t.co/zK48RhDAwy pic.twitter.com/ilqsvccLqP

— WHA Spokesperson (@WHASpeaks) February 1, 2017

Happy #canada150! Honored to join celebration with @EHJager and @CanadaMongolia at @ZanabazarMuseum. pic.twitter.com/q537ZWf84N

— Jennifer Z. Galt (@USAmbMongolia) February 2, 2017

 

Fyafulla! Happy New Year to the #Tamang community – esp the many who work in @USEmbassyNepal! #SonamLhosar pic.twitter.com/qfRgwJEcyT

— Alaina B. Teplitz (@USAmbNepal) January 28, 2017

Dep Dir Southern Africa Hastings in Zimbabwe y can report re human rights, governance y the economy to State Dept leaders @usembassyharare pic.twitter.com/0R93THmEd6

— Amb Harry K. Thomas (@harrykthomasjr1) February 4, 2017

Bring #ForeignService, @doscareers & #diplomacy into American classrooms via "Adopt an Embassy Program" w @usembpanhttps://t.co/izyFf4NLsh pic.twitter.com/BVcpQ6YWnj

— DG Arnold Chacón (@StateDG) February 3, 2017

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