Twitter Policy
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) uses Twitter, a free messaging service offered by an American company, as one tool in its efforts to communicate clearly, quickly and in an interesting manner to Canadians interested in privacy and related issues.
The OPC’s @PrivacyPrivee account on Twitter is managed by the public education team on behalf of colleagues across the OPC. Other OPC accounts currently exist as well – for instance, @PrivComJobs and @EmploisComPriv are used to broadcast job opportunities at the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. New OPC accounts may be created for different needs within the organization.
Content
The content delivered by the OPC on Twitter reflects the standards, practices and tone set by other Twitter users interested in privacy and related issues. In composing our tweets, we recognize that the OPC can be considered an authority on some issues and will be expected to contribute to the online conversation in a considered and thoughtful way.
At the same time, we make an effort to communicate in a direct and realistic voice. Our tweets make an effort to be engaging, informative and sometimes amusing.
Content includes (but is not limited to):
- Links to news releases, blog posts, speeches, research reports and other approved, publicly available OPC material
- Links to relevant information produced and published elsewhere (work of other commissioners, advocacy organizations, researchers, news organizations and others). This can include videos, blog posts, and retweets (RTs) from other Twitter users. (See below for our policy on RTs.)
- Interesting facts, quotes, videos or observations related to privacy
- Topical questions related to privacy meant to provoke discussion
Retweets (RTs)
Tweets we repeat (RT) do not imply endorsement on the part of the OPC. We may retweet news, links and personal observations we believe are relevant to the work we do in privacy advocacy and research.
Twitter as a source of official policy
Tweets should not be considered as the authoritative source of new policy or guidance from the OPC. Any change or evolution in the OPC’s official position on legislation, guidance, investigations and audits will be communicated through more traditional channels: official publications (online and off), speeches, statements to the traditional media and the Office web site.
Importantly, the OPC’s decision to RT should not be taken as explicit endorsement of any position or argument that may vary from the Office’s current official position, nor should it be taken as an indication of a possible shift in the Office’s current official position.
Official Languages
Tweets are composed and delivered in both official languages but not all tweets are delivered in both languages. If a tweet is meant to highlight a link to content found elsewhere on the web, the tweet will be sent in the language of the content it links to. Similarly, a RT will only be delivered in the language of the original author.
Following
The OPC’s decision to follow a particular Twitter user does not imply endorsement of any kind. We follow accounts on Twitter we believe are relevant to the mandate of our work – specifically, as it relates to privacy advocacy and research. This could include following the Twitter accounts of companies and other commercial enterprises (and/or their employees) who comment on privacy issues.
Followers
Similarly, the appearance of a Twitter user as a follower of an OPC account does not imply endorsement. The OPC will only take steps to remove or block a follower when that follower is obviously a bot or consistently tweets offensive material.
Availability
We commit to updating and monitoring our Twitter account during regular office hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., ET. Like many Twitter users, however, we may (and likely will) monitor and respond at other times of the day. We accept no responsibility for lack of service due to the appearance of the fail whale/Twitter downtime.
@Replies and Direct Messages
We will read all @replies and Direct Messages sent to us and, when possible, will respond to them in their language of origin.
Complaints, Media Requests and Personal Issues
We encourage you to follow traditional channels to make a media request, or seek additional information on an ongoing investigation.
If you believe you have a complaint under either the Privacy Act or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, you must submit your complaint to the OPC in writing. Additional information on submitting complaints is available at the link above.
Please note: The Office of the Privacy Commissioner does not process complaints via e-mail or Twitter. Please submit your complaint by mail.(We’re working on this)
Tweets addressed to the OPC which contain comments upon the work or professional duties of individual OPC employees will not be acknowledged.
Other OPC Staff Tweeting
Some OPC staff tweet under their own names or pseudonyms. Despite their professional affiliation with the OPC, their tweets do not represent the official position of the Office, and should be considered the product of each individual as a private citizen.
Ongoing investigations
Twitter will not be used to update the public on the status of ongoing investigations.
If you have questions about this policy, please contact @privacyprivee or Hailey Khan, Head, Public Education and Outreach.
