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…
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.
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