A Social Media House Rules policy is important as it outlines what is and isn’t acceptable behaviour on the Town of Gawler's social media accounts, which allows council to maintain a level of control over the content being published on its pages by users.
It ensures the Town of Gawler's online platforms (including but not limited to Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok) provide a positive experience for all users.
Social Media House Rules
A Social Media House Rules policy is important as it sets expectations for appropriate behaviour on the Town of Gawler’s social media accounts, allowing Council to maintain control over content while ensuring a safe and positive experience for all users.
The Town of Gawler’s online platforms including Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, are used to share news, updates, and community information. Interaction (commenting, sharing, reacting) is welcomed and encouraged, provided it is respectful, safe, and considerate.
By accessing these pages, including those for the Gawler Public Library, Gawler Civic Centre, Gawler Sport and Community Centre, Gawler Aquatic Centre, Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre, Gawler Youth, and the Gawler Visitor Information Centre, users agree to comply with these House Rules and the relevant platform’s terms of use.
Council reserves the right to remove or hide content that is inappropriate or violates platform terms, including:
- Inflammatory, abusive, offensive, or violent content
- Trolling, spam, commercial solicitation, or overt political content
- Encouragement of illegal activity
- Bullying, harassment, or breaches of copyright/IP
- Compromising personal privacy
Repeated breaches will result in progressive bans:
- First offence – 2 business days
- Second offence – 5 business days
- Third offence – indefinite
Moderating of Content
Town of Gawler's social media pages are typically moderated by staff between the hours of 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday as a general rule. Should any inappropriate comments be made to Town of Gawler pages outside of these hours, council will endeavour to remove them at the first opportunity.
To assist in the moderating of content and mitigate against any potentially defamatory comments/posts being published on the Town of Gawler's social media pages by users (third parties), Town of Gawler reserves the right to turn off comments on any post.
Posts will have comments disabled:
- When the purpose is to inform (feedback channels will be provided)
- During peak times where moderation resources are limited
- If moderation constraints or emerging risks arise
Privacy
When you engage or interact with Town of Gawler’s social media pages, you are using an external website, desktop or smartphone application and are therefore bound by the privacy principles and terms of use of that platform.
We encourage you to review privacy policies of each social media site for further information and full understanding before interacting with Town of Gawler’s social media channels. Any views expressed by third parties are not necessarily the views of Town of Gawler.
Recordkeeping
Town of Gawler may record (e.g. screen capture) information posted to any of its social media channels for council purposes. Please visit our Privacy Policy page for additional information.