1. Social Media Policy
January 2014

2. What is social media? Broad definition
The exchange of user generated information by electronic means
The use of social media is expanding rapidly. Individuals
and organisations are embracing user-generated
content, such as social networking, personal websites,
discussion forums and message boards, blogs
and microblogs.
Whether an online activity is able to be viewed by the
public or is limited to a specific group of people, health
professionals need to maintain professional standards
and be aware of the implications of their actions, as in
all professional circumstances. Health professionals
need to be aware that information circulated on social
media may end up in the public domain, and remain
there, irrespective of the intent at the time of posting

3. Scope of Regulation 5 P’s of regulation
Scope in Australia is title protection
What can be done depends on the regulatory power
People, places, processes, produces prices

4. Regulation settings

5. Regulatory approach to Social media
Not illegal but could be harmful
Many upsides
What are the harms and what regulatory tools are proportionally best to deal with those harms
Harms are familiar
Sufficient regulatory tools already exist
Decontextualisation of information and identity
Potentially misleading and deceptive vs
Widespread, efficient and effective communication

6. Social Media Policy...
Social media policy – both professional and advertising requirements
Requirements the same as those that exist elsewhere
You are responsible for all content on your social media pages/sites.
Includes personal pages and closed forums
Dealing with the GAP
Promulgate awareness and understanding that existing obligations apply
However, it does not change the basic obligations that practitioners
must meet. The Social media policy explains how the obligations that already exist in the National
Law and Code of Conduct apply to social media. The basic principle is that the same expectations
apply to your behaviour wherever it occurs – online or in person.
The National Law does not ban the use of social media.
Social media refers to any internet based application that facilitates the exchange of user generated content.
User-generated content is common in the online environment. A person can provide
feedback, respond to articles, post images and generate other forms of content on websites
Practitioners with social networking accounts (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook) should
carefully review content regularly to make sure that all material complies with their obligations
under the National Law. Businesses using social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube have a responsibility to ensure content on their page is accurate, irrespective of who
put it there. You can be held responsible for posts or public comments made by others on
your social media pages which are false or likely to mislead or deceive consumers.

7. Website