Social media rules

• Hafnarfjörður has an active social media presence, particularly on Facebook and Instagram.
• The social media accounts of institutions and schools that fall under the operations of the City of Hafnarfjörður and are operated under the name and logo of the municipality shall, in all cases, belong to the City of Hafnarfjörður's business account.
• All of the council's social media channels should aim to provide clear and detailed information and share relevant and interesting content that is of interest to residents.
• All communication on social media is planned and intended as part of a wider, coordinated information campaign, for example on the City of Hafnarfjörður's website (hafnarfjordur.is) and/or on the websites of individual departments.
• The Communications Manager for the City of Hafnarfjörður provides advice, sets basic rules for communication, and oversees the big picture across communication channels as well as other external and internal media for the City of Hafnarfjörður.
• It is expected that all those involved in the management of the town's social media accounts will enforce these rules and always maintain the utmost courtesy in their interactions with users. Particular attention is drawn to the values of the City of Hafnarfjörður: friendly, reliable, smart, because everything we say and write is part of how people experience the City of Hafnarfjörður. The values should be reflected in our speech and writing.

Main rules

• 1. Respectful in approach and response (warm and witty)
  2. Accurate and impartial information (reliable)
  3. Laws and regulations on personal data protection (reliable)
  4. Guidelines for advertising and sponsorship (reliable)

• The editor (editorial team) of each social media channel for the school and its institutions agrees upon and documents the channel's purpose, defines the target audience, content approach and voice. The editor (editorial team) shall also establish procedures and a division of labour. It is important to decide on the frequency of posts and monitoring, as well as having a content creation plan. The editor is responsible for the content published on their platform.
• It is advisable to include information and a general disclaimer in the „About“ section on media platforms where appropriate.
  • All media operated in the name of the City of Hafnarfjörður, its departments or locations, must include a reference to the City of Hafnarfjörður and to hafnarfjordur.is.
  • All media operated in the name of the City of Hafnarfjörður, its departments or sites, must be registered with the Communications Manager, along with details of the editorial team and contacts. Enquiries and information should be sent to the following email address: samskipti@hafnarfjordur.is
  • A formal account for activities in the name of the City of Hafnarfjörður shall never be linked to an individual's personal account.
  • Identifiable matters and the naming of individuals should not be on the social media channels of Hafnarfjörður Municipality and its institutions.
  • Children are afforded special protection under data protection laws, and it is therefore particularly important to obtain the consent of parents or guardians if pictures of individual children are to be published on social media.
  • When it comes to the publication of images of open events or groups, more general rules on data protection and the publication of images apply. It is therefore generally permitted, provided that the circumstances are not of a sensitive nature. In this context, the aim should always be to capture the event rather than specific individuals. However, it is advisable to always seek consent for publication on social media as well as other media if the individuals are the focus of the coverage.
  • In the nursery and primary schools of Hafnarfjörður, parents must sign a special photo consent form upon enrolment to agree to their child being photographed.

• When photographing identifiable children, and unless the images are taken at a public event, it is permissible to take and publish photographs provided that parents have consented to the photography and publication in printed promotional material by signing a consent form.
• The project manager ensures that all relevant approvals are in place.

• Before staff create a new social media account in the name of the City of Hafnarfjörður, its schools and institutions, they must consult the Communications Manager, who is responsible for authorising new accounts and overseeing all social media accounts run by the municipality.
• Before applying for permission, the applicant must have outlined the role and objectives by establishing a new account, conducted an assessment of potential users, and compiled a summary of who will be responsible for editorial control, data protection, content creation, quality management and updates.
• Furthermore, new accounts shall always comply with the general terms and conditions of the City of Hafnarfjörður.
• The aim of this arrangement is to seek to increase consistency and integration in the council's external communications and engagement, whilst also ensuring security and accessibility.

• Enquiries on social media should always be answered quickly and reliably. The following should be borne in mind when responding:
  • All responses should be well-considered, and answers should be presented with respect and sensitivity.
  • If it is a simple matter, such as a question of fact or an answer that can be provided by pointing to a website, the answer should be given directly.
  • If the matter is more complex, the individual should be invited to raise the issue formally via the Hafnarfjörður feedback portal and/or be directed to other channels for formal submissions to the municipality.
• No formal handling of administrative matters takes place on social media.

• It must be decided which staff of the City of Hafnarfjörður have full access to social media (as admins), and an effort should be made to keep their number to a minimum, preferably no more than 2-3 per platform.
• External consultants and partners shall have limited access. This includes, for example, access for advertising agencies and publishers.
• If an editorial staff member who has served as a channel administrator (admin) leaves their employment, their access should be blocked at the end of their employment.
• Password strength should be considered, and regular reminders to change passwords should be set up. Two-factor authentication is the most secure option for all parties involved.
• The Communications Manager receives notifications of changes to media management at each site. The Editor is responsible for such notifications and for ensuring that the registration is correct.

• Information and a general disclaimer shall be placed in the „About“ section of the site.
  • If submissions are received that contain personally identifiable matters, the publication of names, or images of individuals for which consent has not been obtained, the editorial team may delete them.
  • Also, conceal or delete posts that may be defamatory (libel, slander or bullying), e.g. defamatory statements about named individuals or staff, advertisements, racist content or other inappropriate comments, in accordance with the Equality and Human Rights Policy of the City of Hafnarfjörður.
  • If contributions are negative and unconstructive but do not fall under the definition above, the editorial team will generally seek to allow the discussion to develop and not intervene. Exceptions to this are at the discretion of the editorial team.
• If a user repeatedly attempts to post inappropriate content, they should be blocked.

• The editorial team is responsible for addressing defamatory comments that may appear on the site.
• It is recommended to establish procedures for the daily monitoring of the site.
• It is important that clear messages are given in advance about the role the page is to play and that offensive comments will not be tolerated.