The dangers of social media were “laid bare” during the Christmas/New Year period when the ACT Policing official Twitter account retweeted a pornographic image and followed the account. The tweet, in the name Katie Sanders, show selfies of a woman and contained full-frontal nudity along with the hashtag #ThonglessThursday. It was originally tweeted 18 days beforehand.

ACT Policing deleted the tweet within a matter of minutes, and stopped following the account about 20 minutes later. Later that day, it also “unfavourited” several other similar tweets from Ms Sanders, dating back to early December.

The ACT Policing member who retweeted a pornographic image from the official police Twitter account confessed immediately. “This was an unintentional error by a member of ACT Policing outside the ACT Policing media team who inadvertently re-tweeted a tweet on the ACT Policing Twitter account,” Assistant Commissioner Rudi Lammers said. “The member immediately saw the error and reported the incident to AFP Professional Standards. “This is now the subject of an AFP Professional Standards investigation therefore I am unable to comment further until that investigation has been completed.”

In the meantime, ACT Policing social media protocols were being reviewed. “ACT Policing, like many policing organisations, extensively uses social media to deliver important public messages and to work with the community,” Assistant Commissioner Lammers said. “We will continue to use social media to inform and engage well with the ACT community.”

 

While most organisations will not experience a social media faux pas of these proportions, iHR recommends the implementation of HR Policies and Procedures, which cover use of internet, email and social media. HR policies and procedures establish and document your organisation’s expectations, standards and responsibilities. Clear procedures guide managers and employees through the practical application of policies. Well-documented policies and procedures are also tangible evidence that your organisation has taken reasonable steps to minimise business risks and unlawful practice or behaviour.

 

Recent articles

Trauma informed investigations

Trauma-informed workplace investigations: Prioritising ‘care’ over rigid processes

Interviewee: Kirsten Hartmann, Senior Workplace Relations Adviser/Workplace Investigator In August 2023, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) released four guiding...
Reverse bullying

Reverse Bullying is a Threat to Your Workplace Culture: Here is What it Looks Like

Article updated on 15 March 2024 [Originally published in 2020] What is reverse [or upward] bullying? Simply put, reverse bullying...

The First Tranche of the Fair Work Legislation Amendment (Closing Loopholes) Act 2023

Closing Loopholes Legislation Key changes taking effect from 15 December 2023 In late 2023, the Federal Government passed the first...
Low job control

Eliminate Low Job Control and Empower Your Employees: A Breakdown of the First Webinar

Safe Work Australia has pinpointed 14 psychosocial risks that can adversely affect not only productivity and engagement levels, but also...