Mid Sussex District Council social media house rules

Mid Sussex District Council’s social media channels provide an important space for the Council to inform and engage with residents, share key updates about the Council and the district, and encourage feedback and discussion.

We welcome commentary, engagement and free speech on our channels. However, we also have a responsibility to foster an environment of respect and inclusivity.

Our social media house rules are designed to ensure our online community is a safe, respectful and welcoming space.

The content on this page sets out our house rules for being part of our online community.

1. We will share informative, educational and authentic content on our channels.
2. We will listen, monitor and respond to comments and messages on our channels. This helps us to ensure that the Council continues to serve the needs of the community. If your enquiry is urgent, please contact Customer Service.
3. We will treat our online community with respect and kindness.
4. We will publish content that is factually accurate.
5. We will be politically neutral on our channels.

1. Terms of use: all participants in our online community must comply with the social media platform’s Terms of Use as well as the house rules set out in this document.
2. Be respectful: please be respectful and kind towards each other, as well as our employees. We have a zero-tolerance approach for abusive, offensive or discriminatory conduct (including but not limited to verbal abuse, online abuse, offensive language, hate speech or discrimination of any kind). If someone comments or engages with us or others on our social media accounts in this way, we reserve the right to remove comments and / or block the account from our channels.
3. Maintain privacy: please respect the privacy of our staff and residents. Do not share personal information about yourself or others.
4. Avoid spamming and posting repetitive commentary: please do not engage in spamming or repetitive commentary – engage in meaningful conversations instead.
5. Use appropriate language: please use appropriate and respective language.

We welcome positive engagement on our channels, and we encourage our community to share their views, thoughts and feedback on activities about the Council or Council services.

We will engage with comments and messages on our channels to answer questions, clarify concerns and provide support to our community. We may take certain conversations offline to handle matters directly with an individual or group.

There are certain circumstances under which we may choose to ignore, delete, hide, or block comments and users. Examples may include (but are not limited to):

• When comments may cause distress or offense to members of the public following the page or to page moderators.
• If content would expose the council to legal risk, particularly with respect to defamation, contempt of court or copyright.
• If a user posts or shares content that infringes on copyright or intellectual property rights of the council.

Your voice is important, and we believe that open dialogue, respectful discussion, and active community engagement are essential. By engaging with us, your voice helps us to best understand the needs, priorities, and shared values of our community.

Thank you for being part of our community.