Source: https://www.rcfp.org/guide-compare?outline=1747&states%5B%5D=13&states%5B%5D=14&states%5B%5D=15&states%5B%5D=16&states%5B%5D=17&states%5B%5D=18&states%5B%5D=19&states%5B%5D=20&states%5B%5D=21&states%5B%5D=22&states%5B%5D=23&states%5B%5D=24&states%5B%5D=25&states%5B%5D=26&states%5B%5D=27&states%5B%5D=28&states%5B%5D=29&states%5B%5D=30&states%5B%5D=31&states%5B%5D=32&states%5B%5D=33&states%5B%5D=34&states%5B%5D=35&states%5B%5D=36&states%5B%5D=37&states%5B%5D=38&states%5B%5D=39&states%5B%5D=40&states%5B%5D=41&states%5B%5D=42&states%5B%5D=43&states%5B%5D=44&states%5B%5D=45&states%5B%5D=46&states%5B%5D=47&states%5B%5D=48&states%5B%5D=49&states%5B%5D=50&states%5B%5D=51&states%5B%5D=52&states%5B%5D=53&states%5B%5D=54&states%5B%5D=55&states%5B%5D=56&states%5B%5D=57&states%5B%5D=58&states%5B%5D=59&states%5B%5D=60&states%5B%5D=61&states%5B%5D=62&states%5B%5D=63&states%5B%5D=13
Timestamp: 2018-09-19 18:42:24
Document Index: 365926460

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 50', '§ 402', '§14', '§14', '§ 86', '§ 63', '§ 2']

Comparing: F. How are social media postings and messages treated?
We know of no request for social media postings and messages under the Alabama Public Records Law, but there is no reason for that form of record to be treated any differently from any other form, especially since access to computer records has already been established in this State. See Birmingham News Co. v. Peevy, 21 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2125 (Cir. Ct. of Montgomery County, Ala., July 22, 1993).
The Public Records Act defines the term “public records” to mean “books, papers, files, accounts, writings, including drafts and memorializations of conversations, and other items, regardless of format or physical characteristics. …” AS 40.25.220(3). There are no reported cases at this time dealing with social media postings and messages, but there is no reason to believe they would be treated differently than e-mails, see section [State Law on Electronic Records] III.D above. Whether they are public records should depend primarily on whether they relate to public business and more specifically, whether they are records “developed or received by a public agency, or by a private contractor for a public agency, and that are preserved for their informational value or as evidence of the organization or operation of the public agency.” AS 40.25.220(3).
There are no reported cases under the CPRA addressing this issue. While the message itself might be public through other means, the data residing on an agency’s computers pertaining to the time spent engaging in social media and the sites visited on the public’s time, arguably, pertains to the public’s business and is thus a public record.
No case law yet on this issue. Likely to be treated the same as e-mail, above.
A city council member is subject to the public records provisions of Chapter 119 when the member “is publicly posting comments relating to city business” or his or her public duties on privately owned and operated websites or blogs. Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 08-07 (2008). “The individual council members who create the public documents through the posted comments and emails would be responsible for ensuring that the information is maintained in accordance with the Public Records Law and the policies and retention schedule adopted by the city.” Id.
The Attorney General has also determined that the placement of material on a city’s Facebook page “would presumably be in furtherance of” a municipal purpouse and “in connection with the transaction of official business.” Op. Att’y Gen. Fla. 09-19 (2009). Such material would presumably be subject to the public records provisions of Chapter 119, but the determination would have to be made based on the definition of “public record” in section 119.11 on a case-by-case basis. Id. Whether the Facebook pages of any persons who are “friends” with the City constitute public recordsm “would depend on whether the page and the information contained therein was made or received in connection of the transaction of official business by or on behalf of a public agency.” Id.
Because the Act by its terms applies to "computer based or generated information" social media postings and messages are presumptively subject to the Act. O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 (a).
Social media postings and messages that are “prepared, owned, used, in the possession of or retained by a public agency,” are subject to the ORA because the ORA includes all documentation “regardless of physical form or characteristics.” Ky. Rev. Stat. 61.870(2). However, for practical purposes, public agencies may not retain such messages unless they are required to do so under their document retention schedules. Document retention schedules, which are determined by the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives, vary by agency and can be found at: http://www.kdla.ky.gov/recmanagement/stateschedule.htm.
No specific provision, but under the Act, social media postings and messages should be treated as a public record and should be produced to a requester absent an applicable exemption, if they otherwise fall within the definition of “public record.”
So long as the postings or messages were “received or prepared for use in connection with the transaction of public or governmental business or contains information relating to the transaction of public or governmental business.” 1 M.R.S.A. § 402(3).
No statutory or case law on this issue. Presumably they would be treated like e-mail messages.
Social media postings and messages are not treated in the public record statutes.
Because the Statute defines “information” include “data of any kind and in whatever physical form kept or maintained, including, but not limited to, written, aural, visual, electronic, or other physical form,” RSA 91-A:1-a,IV, social media postings would be covered. The content of the posting would determine whether it would have to be disclosed.
Presumably they may be public records if created or received by any officer or employee of any governmental unit. “Public record” is “broadly defined to include all documentary materials or data created or received by any officer or employee of any governmental unit, regardless of physical form or characteristics.” SPR Bulletin 1-99, “Electronic mail” (revised and reissued May 21, 2003), at ¶ 2 (emphasis added). Moreover the Public Records Law “applies to all government records generated, received or maintained electronically, including computer records, electronic mail, video and audiotapes.” Guide to Mass. Pub. Recs. Law (Sec’y of State, rev. March 2009), at 4. The Supervisor of Public Records has defined email as “any message created on an electronic mail system,” which in turn is defined as “a service that provides facilities for creating messages, transmitting them through a network and displaying them on a recipient’s computer terminal.” SPR Bulletin 1-99 (2003). Both the general and specific language might be construed to encompass social media postings.
There is no statutory or case law addressing this issue. However, social media postings should be treated the same as emails and text/instant messages. See §14-2-6(F), NMSA 2011, §§14-3-15.1 and 14-3-18(C), NMSA 1978. To determine under what circumstances such postings will or will not be public, see the sections infra discussing emails and text/instant messages.
The statute does not address social media messages or postings, however, the statute defines"record" to include information in any physical format whatsoever. N.Y. Pub. Off. Law § 86(4) (McKinney 1988).
There is no statutory or case law specifically addressing this issue. The test is whether a given posting or message relates to the public’s business, under ORS 192.410(4)(a), and is a “writing” under ORS 192.410(6). Because the definition of “writing” is very broad, postings or messages relating to the public’s business are probably public records.
GRAMA defines a “Record” to include “electronic data,” “documents,” and “other documentary material regardless of physical form or characteristics.” Utah Code Ann. § 63G-2-103(22)(a).
Electronic messages fall within the definition of "public records" and is subject to disclosure. Va. Code Ann. § 2.2-3701. In the analogous situations of emails, it is the subject matter of the message that determines whether it is a public record. Burton v. Mann, 74 Va. Cir. 471, 474 (2008).
No Wyoming cases have yet addressed this issue, but the broad definition of a record would seem to include these postings.