Friended, but not Friends: Federal Ethics Authorities Address Role of Social Media in Politics

CRS Reports & Analysis: “Since the rise of social media over the past decade, new platforms of technology have reinforced the adage that the law lags behind developments in technology. Government agencies, officials, and employees regularly use a number of social media options – e.g., Twitter, Facebook, etc. – that have led agencies to update existing ethics rules to reflect the unique issues that they may present. Two areas of ethics regulation affected by the increased role of social media are the ethical standards governing gifts to federal employees and the restrictions on employees’ political activities. These rules apply to employees in the executive branch, though separate ethics rules and guidance on similar topics apply to the House and Senate….(More)”