Internet-based services using Web 2.0 technology have become increasingly popular. Web 2.0 technologies refer to a second generation of the World Wide Web as an enabling platform for Web- based communities of interest, collaboration, and interactive services. These technologies include Web logs (known as “blogs”), which allow individuals to respond online to agency notices and other postings; social-networking sites (such as Facebook and Twitter), which also facilitate informal sharing of information among agencies and individuals; video-sharing Web sites (such as YouTube), which allow users to discover, watch, and share originally created videos; “wikis,” which allow individual users to directly collaborate on the content of Web pages; “podcasting,” which allows users to download audio content; and “mashups,” which are Web sites that combine content from multiple sources. While in the past Internet usage concentrated on sites that provide online shopping opportunities and other services, according to the Nielsen Company, today video and social networking sites have moved to the forefront, becoming the two fastest growing types of Web sites in 2009, with 87 percent more users than in 2003. Furthermore, in February 2009, usage of social networking services reportedly exceeded Web-based e-mail usage for the first time. Similarly, the number of American users frequenting online video sites has more than tripled since 2003. Some of the most popular Web 2.0 technologies in use today are social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is a social networking site that lets users create personal profiles describing themselves and then locate and connect with friends, co-workers, and others who share similar interests or who have common backgrounds. According to the Nielsen Company, Facebook was the number one global social networking site in December 2009 with 206.9 million unique visitors. Twitter is a social networking and blogging site that allows users to share and receive information through short messages. According to the Nielsen Company, Twitter has been the fastest-growing social networking Web site in terms of unique visitors, increasing over 500 percent, from 2.7 million visitors in December 2008 to 18.1 million in December 2009. Federal agencies are increasingly using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance services and interactions with the public. Federal Web managers use these applications to connect to people in new ways. As of July 2010, we identified that 22 of 24 major federal agencies had a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Use of such technologies was endorsed in President Obama’s January 2009 memorandum promoting transparency and open government. The memorandum encouraged executive departments and agencies to harness new technologies to put information about their operations and decisions online so that it would be readily available to the public. It also encouraged the solicitation of public feedback to identify information of the greatest use to the public, assess and improve levels of collaboration, and identify new opportunities for cooperation in government. Table 1 presents examples of Web 2.0 technologies and their current uses in the federal government. Federal agencies have been adapting Web 2.0 technologies to support their individual missions. For example: ● The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) uses Facebook to inform the public about the developmental and humanitarian assistance that it is providing to different countries in the world. It also posts links to other USAID resources, including blogs, videos, and relevant news articles. ● The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses Twitter to notify the public about the status of its missions as well as to respond to questions regarding space exploration. For example, NASA recently posted entries about its Mars Phoenix Lander mission on Twitter, which included answers to questions by individuals who followed its updates on the site. ● The State Department uses YouTube and other video technology in supporting its public diplomacy efforts. The department posts YouTube videos of remarks by Secretary Clinton, daily press briefings, interviews of U.S. diplomats, and testimonies by ambassadors. It also conducted a global video contest that encouraged public participation. The department then posted the videos submitted to it on its America.gov Web site to prompt further online discussion and participation. ● The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed a blog to facilitate an ongoing dialogue on security enhancements to the passenger screening process. The blog provides a forum for TSA to provide explanations about issues that can arise during the passenger screening process and describe the rationale for the agency’s policies and practices. TSA also uses Twitter to alert subscribers to new blog posts. A program analyst in TSA’s Office of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs stated that blogging encourages conversation, and provides direct and timely clarification regarding issues of public concern. While the use of Web 2.0 technologies can transform how federal agencies engage the public by allowing citizens to be more involved in the governing process, agency use of such technologies can also present challenges related to privacy, security, records management, and freedom of information. Determining how the Privacy Act of 1974 applies to government use of social media. The Privacy Act of 1974 places limitations on agencies’ collection, disclosure, and use of personal information maintained in systems of records. The act describes a “record” as any item, collection, or grouping of information about an individual that is maintained by an agency and contains his or her name or another personal identifier. It also defines “system of records” as a group of records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by an individual identifier. However, because of the nature of Web 2.0 technologies, identifying how the act applies to the information exchanged is difficult. Some cases may be more clear-cut than others. For example, as noted by a participant discussing Web 2.0 challenges at a recent conference sponsored by DHS, the Privacy Act clearly applies to systems owned and operated by the government that make use of Web 2.0 technologies. Government agencies may also take advantage of commercial Web 2.0 offerings, in which case they are likely to have much less control over the systems that maintain and exchange information. For example, a government agency that chooses to establish a presence on a third party provider’s service, such as Facebook, could have limited control over what is done with its information once posted on the electronic venue. Given this limited control, key officials we interviewed said they are unsure about the extent to which personal information that is exchanged in such forums is protected by the provisions of the Privacy Act. Ensuring that agencies are taking appropriate steps to limit the collection and use of personal information through social media. Privacy could be compromised if clear limits are not set on how the government uses personal information to which it has access in social networking environments. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, encourage people to provide personal information that they intend to be used only for social purposes. Government agencies that participate in such sites may have access to this information and may need rules on how such information can be used. While such agencies cannot control what information may be captured by social networking sites, they can make determinations about what information they will collect and what to disclose. However, unless rules to guide their decisions are clear, agencies could handle information inconsistently. Individual privacy could be affected, depending upon whether and how government agencies collect or use personal information disclosed by individuals in interactive settings. Extending privacy protections to the collection and use of personal information by third party providers. Individuals interacting with the government via Web 2.0 media may provide personal information for specific government purposes and may not understand that the information may be collected and stored by third-party commercial providers. It also may not be clear as to whose privacy policy applies when a third party manages content on a government agency Web site. Accordingly, agencies may need to be clear about the extent to which they make use of commercial providers and the providers’ specific roles. Uncertainty about who has access to personal information provided through agency social networking sites could diminish individuals’ willingness to express their views and otherwise interact with the government. Safeguarding personal information from security threats that target Web 2.0 technologies. Federal government information systems have been targeted by persistent, pervasive, aggressive threats. In addition, as the popularity of social media has grown, they have increasingly been targeted as well. Thus as agencies make use of Web 2.0 technologies, they face persistent, sophisticated threats targeting their own information as well as the personal information of individuals interacting with them. The rapid development of Web 2.0 technologies makes it challenging to keep up with the constantly evolving threats deployed against them and raises the risks associated with government participation in such technologies. Further, the Federal Information Security Management Act states that agencies are responsible for the security of information collected or maintained on their behalf and for information systems used or operated on their behalf. The extent to which FISMA makes federal agencies responsible for the security of third-party social media Web sites may depend on whether such sites are operating their systems or collecting information on behalf of the federal government, which may not be clear. Training government participants on the proper use of social networking tools. Use of Web 2.0 technologies can result in a blending of professional and personal use by government employees, which can pose risks to their agencies. When an individual identifies him- or herself on a social media site as a federal employee, he or she provides information that may be exploited in a cyber attack on the agency. However, federal guidance may be needed for employees on how to use social media Web sites properly and how to handle personal information in the context of social media. In addition, training may be needed to ensure that employees are aware of agency policies and accountable for adhering to them. Determining requirements for preserving Web 2.0 information as federal records. A challenge associated with government use of Web 2.0 technologies, including government blogs and wikis and Web pages hosted by commercial providers, is the question of whether information exchanged through these technologies constitute federal records pursuant to the Federal Records Act. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has issued guidance to help agencies make decisions on what records generated by these technologies should be considered agency records.