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Public Records Laws and Social Media Retention in
Vermont

Vermont Public Records Law and Social Media

In Vermont, public records are governed by the Vermont Public Records Law. The Law includes “any written or recorded information, regardless of physical form or characteristics” that is “produced or acquired” by a public agency. Therefore, social media records in Vermont qualify as a public record under the Law.

Guidance from the Vermont State Attorney General

The Vermont State Attorney General provides guidance on determining what qualifies as a public record under the Vermont Public Records Law. When there are close calls on whether a record should be considered public or closed, the Attorney General advises that agencies “err on the side of openness.” Under this guidance and with the broad definition of “public record,” social media records in Vermont can be considered public record.

Vermont Social Media Records Management in Practice

The Town of Milton has a comprehensive social media policy that provides guidance for the agency’s use of social media. Along with content and comment management, the guide clearly defines social media records in Vermont as public record. This policy complies with public access and retention requirements of the Vermont Public Records law, mitigating possible risks of records-related litigation.

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