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The Texas Education Agency uses the following policies to guide the use of social media sites in accordance with the Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) Social Media Policy:

Linking

�鶹ֱ�� may make available social media applications, and may publish social media content to third-party sites. These sites are not official �鶹ֱ�� websites and therefore, the external sites’ policies apply. Please refer to the �鶹ֱ�� Linking Policy for more information.��

Privacy

Only public information is permitted to be posted by �鶹ֱ�� or its designee on �鶹ֱ�� social media websites. If communication that takes place on �鶹ֱ�� social media websites involves or requires private information, communication will be redirected through other appropriate channels. Postings from the public on �鶹ֱ�� social media sites become public record and may be posted on the �鶹ֱ�� website. This information may be subject to public information requests. For more information about public information requests, please refer to the �鶹ֱ�� Public Information Requests Policy.

No personally identifiable information without an individual’s permission, unless captured during a public meeting, will be posted on �鶹ֱ�� social media sites by �鶹ֱ�� personnel. �鶹ֱ�� is not responsible for content posted by others to �鶹ֱ�� social media sites. �鶹ֱ�� users that enter personal information on �鶹ֱ�� social media sites do so at their own risk; �鶹ֱ�� is not responsible for the public display of such private information. �鶹ֱ�� may remove postings to its social media sites that contain personally identifiable information, but neither �鶹ֱ��, nor its licensors or contractors, are responsible for any damages caused by delays in such removal.��

Public Information and Record Retention

Social media sites may contain communications sent to or received by state employees, and such communications are therefore public records subject to State Records Retention requirements. These retention requirements apply regardless of the form of the record (digital text, photos, audio, or video, for example).

To the extent that the third-party records retention policies are inconsistent with the Texas State Record Retention Schedule, �鶹ֱ�� will put forth reasonable efforts to archive copies of social media content in order to meet state records retention obligations.

Terms of Service

�鶹ֱ�� social media sites are third party sites and have terms of service and policies that are not governed by �鶹ֱ�� or the State of Texas. These third- party sites are not official �鶹ֱ�� websites and the third party’s website terms of service and policies apply. The terms of service for the social media sites used by tea.texas.gov can be found below:

• (formerly known as��Twitter)

Content of Social Media Posts

All published �鶹ֱ�� social media content is subject to monitoring. This content may take the form of digital text for X and Facebook, photography images for Flickr and Instagram, and videos for YouTube.��

User-generated posts are subject to rejection or removal when the content of a post:

• is off-subject or out of context��
• contains obscenity or material that appeals to the prurient interest
• contains personal identifying information or sensitive personal information, as defined in Tex. Code Bus & Com. Sec. 521.001 et. seq.
• contains offensive terms that target protected classes
• contains personal attacks or insulting statements directed toward an individual
• is threatening, harassing or discriminatory
• incites or promotes violence or illegal activities
• contains information that reasonably could compromise public safety
• advertises or promotes a commercial product or service, or any entity or individual
• promotes, endorses, or contains disparaging language about political campaigns, candidates, or office holders
• are of a repetitive or “spamming” nature (the same comment posted multiple times)

In the above instances, �鶹ֱ�� may remove content without notifying the poster.

X( formerly known as Twitter)

Accessibility: To accommodate �鶹ֱ�� users with disabilities, ��(outside source) is the suggested alternative access to the @teainfo X profile.��

Record Retention: �鶹ֱ�� X content will be archived and retained for the required period of time in accordance with the DIR Records Retention Schedule.��

Facebook

Accessibility: To accommodate �鶹ֱ�� users with disabilities, there are two suggested alternatives to access the �鶹ֱ�� Facebook Fan page:

1. The is a suggested accessible alternative to the original �鶹ֱ�� Facebook page.��
2. �鶹ֱ�� generally posts the same content to Twitter and Facebook. Therefore,����(outside source)��will serve as an accessible��alternative.��

Record Retention: �鶹ֱ�� Facebook updates will be archived and retained for the required period of time in accordance with the DIR Records Retention Schedule.

Flickr

Accessibility: To accommodate �鶹ֱ�� users with disabilities, the is the suggested alternative to access �鶹ֱ��’s photo pool.

Record Retention: The following tea.texas.gov Flickr photos will be archived and retained for the required period of time in accordance with the DIR Records Retention Schedule:

1. Photos posted to Flickr by �鶹ֱ��
2. Photos not accepted by �鶹ֱ�� due to noncompliance with submission guidelines��

Content: By submitting a photo to the �鶹ֱ�� Flickr pool, you are giving �鶹ֱ�� permission to use your photo on the �鶹ֱ�� homepage, website, mobile site, and social media platforms. For more information about photo submission guidelines, visit the .��

YouTube

Accessibility: �鶹ֱ�� will make an effort to link to and display videos on its YouTube channel that have closed captioning available for hearing impaired viewers.��

Record Retention: The �鶹ֱ�� YouTube videos will be archived and retained for the required period of time in accordance with the DIR Records Retention Schedule.

Content: Videos displayed on the �鶹ֱ�� YouTube site will be related to Texas or Texas education.��

Instagram

Record Retention: The following �鶹ֱ�� Instagram photos will be archived and retained for the required period of time in accordance with the DIR Records Retention Schedule:

1. Photos posted to Instagram by �鶹ֱ����
2. Photos not accepted by �鶹ֱ�� due to noncompliance with submission guidelines��

Content: By submitting a photo to the �鶹ֱ�� via Instagram, you are giving �鶹ֱ�� permission to use your photo on the �鶹ֱ�� homepage, website, mobile site, and social media platforms.