Managing Social Media Risks

Social media sites seem to be everywhere we look these days—in both our personal and professional lives. Some of the most popular sites are Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, as you probably know. In her article “Four Ways to Manage the Risks of Social Media,” Kirstin Simonson describes a recent survey conducted by Travelers Global Technology that found that nearly half of adults are actively using these, and other, sites, and that one in five access them while on the job. The survey also found that one in eight respondents said they post work-related information on social media Web sites.

Organizations should be aware of the risk of lawsuits regarding social media sites, and consider creating a written policy that outlines the rules and regulations of using social media sites. The policy should cover electronic communication like blogging, texting and instant messaging, and prohibit its use in ways that are illegal or against the group’s interests.

Employees should also be instructed to avoid privacy violation issues, and also be aware that their electronic communications may be intercepted, analyzed or archived by the company. Organizations must make sure the policy is clear and enforced and also set consequences of violating it, in order to steer clear of any risks.

Check out these sample policies/guidelines:

http://humanresources.about.com/od/policysamplesb/a/blogging_policy.htm

http://www.itbusinessedge.com/cm/docs/DOC-1257