Social Media Policy

SEVIER COUNTY SOCIAL MEDIA POSTING & COMMENT POLICY

The following policy shall govern all posts and comments by both Sevier County Social Media site administrators and public visitors to Sevier County Social Media sites:

PRIVACY POLICY AND DISCLAIMER
Any individual accessing, browsing, and using a Sevier County social media site–whether as a visitor or an administrator–unequivocally accepts the social media policies (hereafter “Policies”) outlined in this document. These terms and conditions apply only to the Social Media sites (defined here as third-party hosted online platforms that facilitate social interaction and dialogue, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) managed by Sevier County.

The County maintains the right to change these Policies without notice. Unless otherwise stated, any modification is effective immediately upon posting the modification on the Social Media Policy page. Continued use of a Sevier County Social Media site after posting any modification signifies acceptance of such modification.

All users of a Sevier County Social Media site are also subject to the site’s Privacy Policy. Sevier County has no control over a third-party site’s privacy policy or its modifications. Sevier County also has no control over the content, commercial advertisements, or other postings produced by the Social Media site that appear on the Sevier County Social Media site as part of the site’s environment.

Sevier County operates and maintains its Social Media sites as a public service to provide information about County programs, services, projects, issues, events, and activities. Sevier County assumes no liability for any inaccuracies these Social Media sites may contain and does not guarantee that the Social Media sites will be uninterrupted, permanent, or error-free. All users understand and agree that the use of the site is at the user’s sole risk. The content and function of the site is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. In no event will Sevier County or its employees be liable for any incidental, indirect, special, punitive, exemplary, or consequential damages arising from or related to any users use or inability to use the site, including, without limitation, loss of revenue or anticipated profits, loss of goodwill, loss of business, loss of data, computer failure or malfunction, or any and all other damages.

POSTING & COMMENTING POLICY
Sevier County Social Media sites that allow posts are limited public forums and are moderated by County staff. All posted content (comments, photos, links, etc.) must be related to the discussion of County programs, services, projects, issues, events, and activities. The following are prohibited on Sevier County Social Media sites:
• Comments not topically related to County programs, services, projects, issues, events, and activities, or the particular post being commented upon
• Posts and comments that promote or advertise commercial services, entities, or products except as stipulated in County marketing plans and determined by the County to be essential to economic development
• Political statements, including comments that endorse or oppose political candidates or ballot propositions
• Religious statements, including comments that endorse or oppose any type of religious opinions or activities
• Posts and comments that promote, foster, or perpetuate discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, gender identity, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation
• Posts and comments that include vulgar, offensive, threatening, or harassing language, personal attacks, or unsupported accusations
• Obscene or sexual content or links to obscene or sexual content illegal activity or encouragement of illegal activity
• Information that may compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems.
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party

Sevier County reserves the right to reject, restrict or remove posted content that does not comply with these Policies. All posts and comments uploaded to Sevier County Social Media sites that allow posts will be periodically reviewed. Communications made through Sevier County Social Media sites in no way make up a legal or official notice or comment to Sevier County. Please contact the appropriate department to comment on a specific County project or program.

LINKS AND EMBEDDED CONTENT
Links to other Social Media and/or External Websites Provided on County Social Media Sites
Sevier County may provide links to other websites or Social Media profiles as a resource to visitors; however, unless specifically indicated, the linkage does not imply an endorsement of any products, services, or information and does not imply an association between Sevier County and the linked website or Social Media profile Once visitors click on these links and leave the County’s official page, the policies articulated here no longer apply. Visitors who follow these links to external sites or Social Media profiles should be advised that the County is not responsible for the content on these pages. Sevier County reserves the right to delete links posted by visitors to its Social Media sites if they are deemed to violate the policies outlined in this document.

Links By Other Entities To County Social Media Sites
Advance permission to link to Sevier County Social Media sites is unnecessary. Entities and individuals linking to official Sevier County Social Media sites may not in any way suggest a relationship or affiliation with the County, or that the County endorses, sponsors, or recommends their products, opinions, or site content.
Embedded Content From County Social Media Sites On Other Sites
The content embedded from any Sevier County Social Media site shall not be misrepresented in any way, although advance permission for use is unnecessary. Using content embedded from Sevier County Social Media sites on a third-party site may not in any way imply the Sevier County’s endorsement, support, sponsorship or approval of that site.

COPYRIGHT POLICY
Material made available via official Sevier County Social Media sites is the property of Sevier County and intended for informational purposes only. Any re-use, transmission, duplication, or distribution of any material found on an official Sevier County Social Media site must be clearly attributed to Sevier County. Commercial uses of copyrighted material found on Sevier County Social Media sites is prohibited without the express written consent of Sevier County.