Thank you for visiting this City of Chandler social media account. This constitutes the city’s Social Media Comment Policy for Public Users. The city’s social media platforms are used by the city to promote and disseminate accurate information about the City of Chandler to its residents, businesses and visitors. The city encourages the public to respectfully share their thoughts and opinions on the city’s social media platforms on any topic related to municipal concerns. Social media comments reflect the views of those making the comments, not the city.
The city reserves the right to review, hide and/or remove comments on all city official social media platforms, consistent with this Policy. The city does not discriminate based on viewpoint. Comments posted on the City’s social media platforms will not be edited by the city; however, the city may hide or remove comments if they contain, constitute, or link to any of the following (collectively referred to as “Prohibited Content”):
- Malware or malicious or harmful software;
- Advertisements, promotions or solicitations of a commercial product or service;
- Confidential, personal identifying or private information;
- Sexually explicit or pornographic content;
- Profanity;
- Defamatory/libelous speech against a named person or organization;
- Threats of unlawful violence or harassment; or
- SPAM, consisting of disruptive and repetitive unsolicited messages sent indiscriminately on the Internet to many recipients or posted in many places.
The following rules will apply in the event Prohibited Content is discovered:
- The comment may be hidden or removed from public view.
- A user may be temporarily blocked and remain blocked while the city makes a determination as to whether the user has made comments containing Prohibited Content.
- A user who repeatedly makes comments containing Prohibited Content may be temporarily restricted from the social media platform up to six (6) months, subject to the following: 1) a user’s access shall only be restricted from the social media platform on which the user made the comment containing Prohibited Content; and 2) the user has repeatedly and consistently violated this Policy on multiple occasions or 3) the city reasonably believes the user will repeatedly and consistently violate this Policy.
- If the city restricts any person’s access to a city social media platform, it will reasonably attempt to notify the user (provided the user’s contact information is available on the social media platform), inform the user of the violation and/or restriction and the procedure by which a blocked user may appeal.
- To appeal the restriction of access to a social media platform or the hiding/removing of a comment, the user must submit a request for review to Chandler News and provide grounds for reinstatement.
- All requests for reinstatement will be responded to in a reasonably timely manner. The Communication and Public Affairs Director or the Director’s designee will decide the appeal. Access and/or comments will be reinstated if it is determined there are sufficient grounds for reinstatement.
Public Records and Retention. The city’s social media platforms are subject to Arizona public records and records retention laws. Posts and comments and any record maintained on or regarding the city’s social media platforms, including restriction appeals, will be maintained in accordance with these laws.
User-generated content. The city does not agree with or endorse comments posted. A comment is the opinion of the commentator only. Further, external, non-city links posted on the city’s social media site does not constitute endorsement on behalf of the city.
Comments are entirely public and users should not write comments with any information that they consider or would like to keep confidential.
The city reserves the right to monitor its social media platforms but is not responsible for content generated by users on these platforms nor is user-generated content government speech.
The city’s social media platforms that are hosted by third-party websites which have terms of service and standards that are not governed by the city. The city is not responsible for content removed or hidden by such third-party hosts.