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Public Records Laws and Social Media Retention in
Michigan

Michigan Public Records Law – The Freedom of Information Act

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) governs social media records in Michigan. The Act regulates and sets requirements for the disclosure of public records by all public bodies in the state.

Government agencies that fail to comply with the Michigan FOIA public records laws can be subject to civil penalties and fines.

Michigan Municipal League Business Alliance Guidance

An article published by a Michigan Municipal League Business Alliance partner, written by attorney Steven Mann and titled The Legalities of Social Media, discusses how social media falls under the same retention requirements as other types of records. It also illuminates how improper or lack of preservation of these records can be considered criminal.

State of Michigan Social Media Community Guidelines

The state of Michigan’s Social Media Community Guidelines explain how social media content falls into the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA):

Social Media Records Policy in Practice

As social media becomes more widely utilized as a two-way communication method between government agencies and the public, some local government agencies are taking steps to ensure successful use, including creating agency-specific social media policies. The Washtenaw County, MI Sheriff’s Office has developed a comprehensive Procedural Guideline – Use of Social Media document that addresses policies and retention of social media records in Michigan.

Social Media Record Retention Legal News in Michigan

Read about Michigan cases and precedents involving social media and public record retention.

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A judge in Michigan ruled that conversations between public officials and private citizens are public records.

An Ann Arbor constituent made a records request for any interaction between city council members and another resident over email, text, or social media direct messaging between January and April of 2019. The judge ruled that the social media messages concerned city business and, therefore, are public records subject to FOIA requests.

SOCIAL MEDIA ARCHIVING SOLUTION OVERVIEW

How Social Media Archiving Works

Download the Solution Overview to see how social media archiving helps you achieve public records compliance. Automatically retain every post, photo, comment and more from your social pages for record retention.

eBook Comprehensive Social Media Archiving Compliance