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Milwaukee officials may be discouraged from “friending” each other on social media websites, such as Facebook, under a new city policy.

Legislation recently introduced by Ald. Ashanti Hamilton (and designed by the city’s Information Management Committee) would discourage aldermen and other officials bound by state open meetings laws “from interactions with other members (of governmental bodies) on social media sites, including practices such as or similar to friending.”

City departments would also be required to retain messages and other content posted by city employees (in an “official” capacity) to social media sites to comply with state open records laws.

Departments are also asked to limit the number of employees who post to official city pages, such as the Department of City Development’s Facebook page or the Milwaukee Police Twitter account, “to ensure consistency of message.”

The policy prohibits comments that are of a personal nature or are profane, obscene, violent, unlawfully defamatory, threatening, support a political campaign, advertise for a personal business or endeavor, promote any non-governmental entity, encourage illegal activity, violate copyright law, compromise public safety or encourage discrimination.

The policy places no limits, however, on comments made by city employees in a “personal” capacity on their own social media pages.

The resolution establishing the policy was referred to the council’s Finance and Personnel Committee.

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