City of Kinston and Kinston Police Department outline social media comment policies
The City of Kinston and the Kinston Police Department have both adopted moderated social media policies that set boundaries for public comments on official posts.
According to the city’s policy, its social media platforms are designed to share matters of public interest but are not intended to be open public forums. While residents are encouraged to ask questions and share concerns, the city may disable comments on certain posts that are informational only or under other circumstances it deems appropriate.
Comments that include vulgar or obscene language, discriminatory content, threats, or confidential information are subject to removal. The city also prohibits posts that advocate illegal activity, promote private products or political campaigns, infringe on copyrights, or duplicate the same content repeatedly.
The city notes that all communication through its platforms may be subject to public records laws, meaning comments and interactions could be monitored or disclosed to third parties.
The Kinston Police Department follows a similar policy, describing its Facebook page as a “limited public forum.” Comments may be removed if they are off-topic, obscene, discriminatory, threatening, harassing, or if they promote violence, illegal activity, commercial products, or political campaigns. The department also restricts comments that contain personal identifying information or compromise public safety.
Both the city and police department emphasize that comments and opinions made by the public do not reflect the official views of city government or its employees.
For questions about the city’s social media operations, residents may contact the City Manager’s Office at 252-939-3111.
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