Location
Chicago, IL
Start Date
14-12-2012 2:00 PM
End Date
14-12-2012 3:30 PM
Description
The growth of social media applications in the government context has an impact not only on government officials who use social media, but also the increasingly information-hungry general public, who expect local, state, and even the federal government to use these technologies to more effectively disseminate information and allow a forum for comment. In fact, social media provide the public sector a wealth of opportunity to communicate with the public, with interested stakeholders, and with each other about new proposals and ideas. Additionally, social media may be used by all parties interested in public sector decision making, including developers, applicants, individual advocates, non-profit organizations, or governmental entities. However, the general benefits of the use of these new technologies—which include the promise of greater transparency and greater public participation—must be weighed against the potential drawbacks, such as truthfulness and accuracy of posted information, the source of the posted information, and the longevity of inaccurate information in cyberspace. Additionally, there are a number of professional ethical considerations for public officials who choose to utilize social networking tools, as well as a host of legal issues when organizations choose to create and host these sites.
Recommended Citation
Tappendorf, Julie A. Esq. and Silverman, David S. Esq., "Ethics of social networking" (2012). IAAO Annual Legal Seminar. 13.
https://researchexchange.iaao.org/legal/legal12/sessions/13
Ethics of social networking
Chicago, IL
The growth of social media applications in the government context has an impact not only on government officials who use social media, but also the increasingly information-hungry general public, who expect local, state, and even the federal government to use these technologies to more effectively disseminate information and allow a forum for comment. In fact, social media provide the public sector a wealth of opportunity to communicate with the public, with interested stakeholders, and with each other about new proposals and ideas. Additionally, social media may be used by all parties interested in public sector decision making, including developers, applicants, individual advocates, non-profit organizations, or governmental entities. However, the general benefits of the use of these new technologies—which include the promise of greater transparency and greater public participation—must be weighed against the potential drawbacks, such as truthfulness and accuracy of posted information, the source of the posted information, and the longevity of inaccurate information in cyberspace. Additionally, there are a number of professional ethical considerations for public officials who choose to utilize social networking tools, as well as a host of legal issues when organizations choose to create and host these sites.