9. PUBLIC RECORDS - NATIONAL
Elected officials can't delete social media posts; they're considered public records
By definition, public records are records required by law to be made and kept. Typically, when people think of public records, they probably think of inmate rosters or recent divorce filings. However, an article by Chris Martin of The Milpitas Beat says that social media posts by elected officials can be considered public records. According to the California Public Records Act, it is required that government agencies keep public records regardless of the physical form, and clearly specifies that these records are "any form of communication or representation".
In all
50 states social media posts are considered to be public records. I think this
is a very interesting and needed requirement. In the context of elected
officials' social media posts being public records, citizens can benefit
greatly. Not only does this allow more discussion between officials and the
citizens, but it also allows the people to be able to revert back to any post
by an elected official that they may have a question about.
These
social media posts include tweets, comments, pictures, livestreams, and more.
While citizens can benefit greatly from this rule, elected officials could
experience disadvantages from it. It is now easier than ever for citizens or
other elected officials to pull up old social media posts that could possibly
be a detriment to someone's position and career. This is a great example of how
one act or law could bring great benefits to some people while possibly
bringing harsh consequences to others.
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