{mosads}A January 2009 memorandum from President Obama encouraged agencies to use the Internet to better connect with the public.
But the GAO report found using social media sites poses new challenges for government agencies.
For example, interacting with the public online might give government agencies access to people’s private information.
“Social networking sites, such as Facebook, encourage people to provide personal information that they intend to be used only for social purposes,” the report found. “Government agencies that participate in such sites may have access to this information and may need rules on how such information can be used.”
Using social media also exposes the government to cyberattacks.
“As the federal government begins to utilize public social media websites, advanced persistent threats may be targeted against these websites,” the GAO wrote. “In addition, attackers may use social media to collect information and launch attacks against federal information systems.”
Federal agencies are required to manage and maintain their official records. How to apply these recordkeeping requirements to social media sites remains unclear—for example, whether tweets at official accounts must be saved.
According to the report, 12 of the 23 agencies have taken steps to establish social media recordkeeping rules.
“Without establishing guidance and assessing risks specific to social media, agencies cannot be assured that they are adequately meeting their responsibilities to manage and preserve federal records, protect the privacy of personal information and secure federal systems and information against threats,” the report concluded.