Social Media User Policy 

Purpose and Scope 

The Administration of Salt Lake City (“Salt Lake City” and “the City”) is committed to First Amendment rights and the constitutional right to freedom of speech, including individuals sharing thoughts and opinions on social media.  

Salt Lake City believes that accurate and consistent information is a key part of its official social media presence, and that honest, civil, and productive discussions provide the best environment for fostering growth, collective understanding, and constructive engagement.  

For these reasons, Salt Lake City has developed standards to prevent any form of abuse or harm and clearly outlines what is and is not acceptable on City-managed social media accounts and sites, while ensuring that these spaces support and protect diverse perspectives and public discourse. 

Notice 

Salt Lake City recognizes that social media is utilized by residents for news and communications. To serve residents and the public in the digital space, the City developed its own social media accounts and sites across various platforms.  

When using, viewing, or interacting with any of the City’s social media accounts and sites, please be aware of the following:  

• This policy applies to all of the City’s social media accounts and sites, including but not limited to: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, NextDoor, Reddit, Threads, TikTok, X, YouTube, blogs, wikis, or any other tool or service that facilitates online interactions. 

• Where possible, a link to this policy will be made available as a hyperlink or posted as text somewhere on the social media accounts and sites. 

• While the content on City-managed accounts and sites is monitored to ensure a safe, respectful dialogue, the City recognizes users’ rights to comment, post or express their views. City staff will not hide, remove, mute, or delete comments solely because such comments are critical of the City or its officials. 

• Posts and comments on a City social media site or tagging of a City social media account may be removed, hidden, muted, or deleted in a viewpoint-neutral manner if allowed by law, under this policy’s Terms of Use, and subject to a right of appeal under City policy.  

• Repeated or egregious violations of this policy’s Terms of Use may result in denial of access to City-managed accounts and sites. 

• The City reserves the right to report content posted to City accounts and sites to the Provider for a violation of the Provider’s terms of use.  

• The social media posts the City makes, comments and replies to those posts, and any direct or private messages sent to the City may be public records and subject to both retention and applicable public records release. To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please do not post or include sensitive, personally identifiable information. 

• The City’s social media accounts and sites are not monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and thus there is no guarantee that staff will see or respond to your comment or message. As such, no one should utilize City social media sites to provide City staff notice of dangerous conditions or seek emergency services. Anyone in need of emergency help should call 9-1-1 immediately. Non-emergency requests for services or reports should be submitted through the mySLC service portal.  

• If you request public records through the City’s social media sites, that request may not be seen, and it is recommended that you submit your requests through the Public Records portal.  

• The City may post content and comments that contain links to websites not owned or controlled by Salt Lake City. Salt Lake City is not responsible for content that appears on these websites and provides links as a convenience only.  

• If you have additional questions about the City’s social media accounts and sites or this policy, please contact socialmedia@slc.gov.  

By accessing any Salt Lake City social media account or site, I acknowledge having been advised of and understanding the foregoing. 

Solicitation of Public Comment – Limited Public Forum  

The purpose of City social media accounts is to discuss matters of public interest in and to Salt Lake City through communications that are on topic and are related to discussion of City programs, services, projects, issues, events, or activities.  

This is a forum limited to Salt Lake City-specific issues and any individual accessing, interacting with, or submitting content to Salt Lake City social media accounts (the “user”) agree they have read, understand, and agree to, without limitation, the following terms and conditions by virtue of such use: 

TERMS OF USE 

1. I am submitting content voluntarily and on my own behalf. 

2. The content I post reflects my own original thoughts or work. 

3. I understand that the City has the right to re-post or share any content, photos, or videos that I submit on this or other city social media sites.  

4. I have read and understand the policy, including the right of the City to remove or archive content as described in the City’s policy and as may be allowed by law. 

5. I understand that any content I provide may be considered a “public record” under state law. 

6. I understand and agree that my and others’ comments must relate to the discussion of City programs, services, projects, issues, events, or activities. Comments that do not relate to City business may be hidden or removed.  

7. I understand that the following prohibited content may be hidden or deleted, as permitted by law: 
   • a) Comments expressly advocating direct violence or other illegal activity. 
   • b) Comments containing obscenity, which is defined as sexually explicit and/or pornographic content that is patently offensive, appeals to prurient interest, and lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value. 
   • c) Comments that promote, foster, or perpetuate discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, veteran status, or any other legally protected class. 
   • d) Comments containing hyperlinks to any content or website other than those controlled by Salt Lake City. This will be done without regard to the viewpoint of the comment containing such a link or the content of the site to which the link redirects. 
   • e) Duplicate comments posted repeatedly within a short period of time by the same user. 
   • f) Comments containing defamation against a person, either as determined by a court or comments that are patently defamatory by easily discovered facts.  
   • g) Comments that contain images or other content that violate the intellectual property or copyright rights of someone else, if the owner of that property notifies us that the property was posted in a comment on our social media account(s). 
   • h) Comments that solicit, promote, or endorse specific commercial services, products, or entities.  
   • i) Comments that may compromise the safety or security of public systems.  
   • j) Comments that contain information that directly interferes with or compromises ongoing investigations, public safety tactics, or the safety of public safety officers.  
8. I understand that I may be blocked from accessing City social media sites for violations of the City’s social media terms of use policy or by the social media platform for violating the platform’s terms of use.  
9. I understand that the views and comments expressed on City social media sites only reflect those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views of the City.  
10. Waiver of Liability. Because various laws exist that create liability for various actions, including but without limitation defamation, invasion of privacy, false light, breach of contract, procurement violations, violations of due process among many potential areas of exposure for which the City accepts no responsibility based on the actions of others or for creating City social media account and sites, I, for myself, successors and assigns, release and hold harmless and agree to indemnify the City/County, including its Officers and Employees, from any and all actions, claims, liabilities and damages of whatever kind and nature arising out of or in connection with my use of the City’s social media site or interaction with a City social media account.  

By posting or commenting I acknowledge that I understand and accept these terms of use.  

Right of Appeal 

1. Deleted/Hidden User Comments. If City staff hides or deletes a user’s comment pursuant to these terms and conditions, the user has the right to appeal that decision by sending an email to the citywide social media administrator at socialmedia@slc.gov within five business days of the deletion. The user shall include information in that email about the content that was hidden or deleted and why they believe the comment or content does not violate the policy or law.  

2. Comment Deletion Consideration. Upon receipt of an appeal, within 10 business days the citywide social media administrator will reconsider the decision to edit or remove the content and render a written decision on the request, noting the basis for the decision.  

If the appeal is successful, the comment may (if possible) be restored for public view or the user may be permitted to repost the comment. If the comment is determined to be unprotected, the user will be notified that the appeal was denied. The decision of the citywide social media administrator shall be the final administrative decision of the City.  

3. Blocking or Banning a User. If the citywide social media administrator determines that a user has violated these terms and conditions on three or more occasions within a 12-month rolling period, the citywide social media administrator may block or ban the offending user from accessing the social media site(s) and interacting with the account(s) where the violations occurred. 

If a user is blocked or banned, the citywide social media administrator will (a) reasonably attempt to notify the user; (b) describe the violation(s); and (c) explain the appeal process. 

4. Blocking or Banning Consideration. The user has the right to appeal that decision by sending an email to the citywide social media administrator at socialmedia@slc.gov within five business days of the deletion. The user shall include information in that email about why they believe they have not violated the policy or law.  

Upon receipt of appeal, within 10 business days the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office will reconsider the decision to block or ban the user and render a written decision on the request, noting the basis for the decision.  

If the decision to block or ban the user is overturned and it is found that the user has not violated this policy three times within a rolling 12-month period, the City will unblock or unban the user from the social media account. If the decision is upheld, the decision to block or ban the user will stand. After the expiration of 12 months from the date the user was blocked or banned, the user may submit a written request to the citywide social media administrator to unblock the user. 

Updated May 7, 2025