Theresa Fuentes, Assistant City Attorney - Ciy of Pasadena

Government use of social media raises potential legal issues regarding the First Amendment, public records laws, and open meetings laws. Some key considerations for government agencies include: - Social media pages may be considered limited public forums, requiring viewpoint-neutral, reasonable restrictions on content. - Comments on government social media may constitute public records that must be preserved and produced upon request. - Elected officials should avoid using social media in ways that could violate campaign laws or create bias issues. - Policies are needed to clarify how social media fits within administrative records and proceedings.Read less