PCC Management Insights

“Staying in the Know”

Use of Social Media / Networking by PCCs
(November / December 2009)

The Question

What is the social medial policy for Postal Customer Councils (PCCs), given the widespread interest and use of social media / networking Web sites by the general public as well as businesses and organizations?

The U.S. Postal Service Response

Social networking sites like Facebook or LinkedIn are not currently referenced in the Publication 286, and these types of sites are different in important ways from the PCC Web sites that the Publication 286 currently references.

Some PCCs already maintain independently operated PCC Web sites.  In fact, Publication 286 directs members and others seeking information about the PCC network to visit the national PCC Web site at www.usps.com which is the prime communications vehicle of the PCC Program.  There, members and others can find the “Locate a PCC” map which provides links to these independently operated PCC web sites of some local PCCs.  These sites are not, however, managed by the Postal Service and are not part of the Postal Service national PCC Web site.  The links to these independently maintained and operated local PCC Web sites are provided on the national PCC Web site as a courtesy and the Postal Services reserves the right to remove a link to any local PCC Web site that does not comply with the required standards as set out in the Publication 286, under the section entitled “PCC Web Site” at page 7.  

Given that the social networking sites such as Facebook or LinkedIn operate differently from the PCC Web sites, in that the social networking sites have a greater public profile, involve spontaneous interactivity among visitors, and are difficult to manage from a content perspective, the official use of such sites by the PCCs raises significant legal risks in the realms of technology security, privacy, federal records management and other issues.  For this reason, these social networking sites may not be used by PCCs for official PCC purposes.  

In the event that any PCCs make use of these types of social networking sites, any such use must not be linked to usps.com, must not incorporate the PCC logo or any other intellectual property belonging to the U.S. Postal Service (such as the Eagle logo), and Postal Service  approval or endorsement must not be suggested or implied.  

Furthermore, PCC funds and resources must not be used to establish, maintain, manage or oversee any such social media sites [or PCC Web sites, for that matter] that PCCs or individual PCC members may choose to host, and no official PCC announcements should be made on the social networking  sites.  Participation in social media sites by PCC industry members in their individual capacities—so long as it stays within the limitations described above—is not regulated by Postal Service policies, including Publication 286. 

It is possible that the USPS’ position regarding the use of social media by PCCs could change in the future.  Unless that happens, all PCCs should adhere to the guidelines contained herein.