Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Nextdoor, as well as websites, online newsletters, and email blasts, allow community associations to facilitate communication between homeowners, provide real-time updates, and give members the ability to offer instant feedback to the board.
At the same time, social media can be abused by users through practices such as cyberbullying, defamation, and invasion of privacy, says attorney Katrina Solomatina of Berding & Weil in Walnut Creek, Calif.
Adopting a social media policy can allow communities to assign responsibility over its use and minimize abusive practices, Solomatina notes.
It's important for communities to determine who will manage and update social media platforms, who will monitor and respond to comments, who can control or remove content, who can post, and what type of content is prohibited. Community associations should adopt a policy that covers the above.
When an association operates a closed group or discussion board, like Nextdoor, for residents, Solomatina recommends a user policy.
>>View the user policy terms.