Social media guidelines
We monitor social media Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you have a time-sensitive question or inquiry about municipal services, please Contact Us.
We are committed to operating social media effectively to communicate and engage residents, employees and other community members. The following guidelines govern how we communicate and engage online.
We reserve the right to remove any content, or not respond to communications considered inappropriate, as follows:
- Profane language or content
- Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, colour, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation
- Inappropriate sexual content or links to such content
- Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity
- Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public, public systems or employees of the City
- Personal information or personal health information of others
- Content that violates legal ownership interests of any other party
- Inaccurate or misleading information
- Commercial endorsements or solicitation
- Violate the terms, bylaws, policies or procedures of the City of Kingston
- Materials that are owned/copyrighted by the City of Kingston, including but not limited to images, screenshots, video, and any other information, unless approved by the Communications and Public Engagement Division of the City of Kingston
Content that violates these guidelines may result in a temporary 72-hour ban from our social media accounts. If a ban period overlaps a weekend or holiday, the restriction will be reviewed and lifted on the next business day. Repeated violations may be considered under the City's Vexatious Conduct Policy and could result in longer bans.
Temporary bans from the City of Kingston's social media channels do not prevent residents from accessing services or information or expressing personal views through other channels. People can continue to share feedback or ideas outside of social media through Get Involved Kingston, our public engagement platform. The Customer Experience team is also available online, in person or by phone to answer questions about services or to connect you with staff who can help resolve a concern. We approach all interactions with respect and professionalism, and we ask that community members do the same – whether online, by phone, by email, or in person.
