Social Media and External Communications Policy

The Social Media and External Communications Policy (P36) serves as a comprehensive framework for managing all public-facing communications involving the organization, its personnel, and its brand. This document provides clear guidelines and mandatory procedures designed to prevent reputational harm, regulatory violations, intellectual property leaks, and unauthorized disclosures through social and digital media channels. The policy applies to all employees, contractors, interns, and third-party representatives who communicate on behalf of the organization, refer to it in public settings, or use accounts of any type (personal or corporate) to engage in discussions relating to the organization. Covered channels include mainstream social media platforms, blogs, forums, public emails, media interviews, public speaking engagements, and online communities. All forms of both pre-scheduled and real-time communication, from any device, fall within the policy’s remit. Its primary objectives are to: prevent the accidental or intentional release of sensitive or regulated data; ensure official statements are authorized, accurate, and aligned with brand standards; avoid reputational damage through messaging consistency; meet applicable legal and regulatory obligations; and outline clear responsibilities, use cases, and enforcement measures for everyone involved in public communications. The policy details specific roles: Marketing/Communications Officers oversee content approval and online monitoring; Security teams watch for leaks, attacks, and impersonation; Legal reviews content compliance and manages regulatory notifications; Department Heads enforce policy at team level; while all personnel carry personal responsibility for any reference to the organization. Among its governance requirements are rules stipulating that only authorized spokespersons issue official statements, all corporate accounts utilize Multi-Factor Authentication and strong credential management, and inappropriate or unauthorized external communication is strictly prohibited. The policy mandates centralized logging of social account access, regular access reviews, and content approvals for scheduled posts. Brand mentions, unauthorized or impersonator accounts, and negative sentiment spikes are monitored by Marketing/Security, with escalation and incident response requirements for any suspected breach or misuse. Incident response protocols are clearly defined, requiring immediate containment (deletion, documentation, reporting), activation of the incident response policy where personal or sensitive data is involved, legal and DPO notification, and regulatory breach notifications within stipulated timeframes (for example, GDPR’s 72-hour rule). Post-incident reviews, corrective actions, and audit logging are integral to the policy’s enforcement mechanism. Exceptions may only be granted in tightly controlled scenarios, such as crisis communications or approved media interviews, and must be formally documented, scoped, and reviewed. Enforcement measures include possible formal warnings, access suspension, disciplinary actions, or legal proceedings for noncompliance, while audit and compliance monitoring are ongoing. Reviews are mandatory at least annually and after material regulatory, operational, or structural changes. This policy is aligned with a wide range of regulatory frameworks including ISO/IEC 27001:2022, ISO/IEC 27002:2022, NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5, EU GDPR, NIS2, DORA, and COBIT 2019, ensuring that organizational communications remain secure, compliant, and on-message in an increasingly complex digital landscape.