Participation in Social Media

This page explains the rationale and protocols for our department’s participation in social media channels, such as micro-blogging sites, media-file sharing sites, social and professional networking sites, as well as blogs and discussions forums.

The choice to use a particular social media channel or Web 2.0 tool is driven by departmental objective and needs, nature and size of audiences, plus service agreements with the Government of Canada.

Service Canada’s social media accounts are primarily managed or overseen by its Marketing Directorate, on behalf of teams across the department to support business line objectives.

Official Policy

Our communication in social media channels should not be considered as the authoritative source of new policy or guidance on services and programs from Service Canada or the Government of Canada. Any change or evolution in the official position on Government of Canada services and programs, legislation, guidance, investigations and audits will be communicated through more traditional channels, such as official publications (online and offline), speeches, media releases, statements to the traditional media, and government Web sites.

Availability

We aim to update and monitor our social media accounts during regular office hours (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern Time) Monday to Friday, with limited monitoring on weekends. Third-party social media services may occasionally be unavailable, and we accept no responsibility for lack of service owing to downtime.

Content

The content we contribute to social media channels will support the department’s range of programs, and services including;

  • Program details
  • Dates and deadlines
  • Notifications and updates
  • Information and tips
  • How tos

We may remove content which is out-dated, incorrect or restricted in time by licensing agreements. We apologise for any inconvenience when this occurs.

Commenting

We will moderate and review comments where possible, based on our Commenting and Service Standards. We may participate or intervene, as appropriate. In accordance with the rules, moderators reserve the right to edit, refuse or remove comments.

Questions & Media Requests

If you are looking for general information about our department, please consult the Service Canada Web site.

If you want to contact us for official correspondence, please visit Service Canada’s Contact Us section.

For media enquiries, please call (819) 994-5559 or send an e-mail to media@hrsdc‑rhdcc.gc.ca if you need more detailed information or would like to set up an interview.

Please see Important Notices page for additional information.

Followers/Friends/Subscribers

Service Canada’s decision to “follow”, “friend” or subscribe does not imply endorsement of another social media account, channel, page or site. Links will be based on their relevance to departmental to programs, policies and services and perceived usefulness to the public.

Similarly, the appearance of a user as a follower, friend or subscriber of a departmental account does not imply endorsement of any kind by the department or the Government of Canada. We will take steps to remove or block followers, friends or subscribers when they violate our Commenting and Service Standards.

Replies and Repeats

We welcome comments and questions about the content we post in social media channels, where possible. Unfortunately, we are not able to reply individually to all the messages we receive via social media channels.

All replies and direct messages will be read, and emerging themes or helpful suggestions will be forwarded to the relevant people in our department.

We may occasionally repeat content from other users. Content we repeat does not imply endorsement by Service Canada, nor should it be taken as an indication of any shift in the department’s current official position.

Links to Other Web Sites

Links to non-Government of Canada Web sites are provided solely for the convenience of users. Service Canada is not responsible for the content on these other sites. Service Canada does not offer any guarantee in that regard, nor does it endorse the sites and their content. Linked sources may only be available in the language in which they are written.

Official Languages

Many social media services have multiple language options for their interface. Please find the services’ instructions on how to satisfy your preferences.

English and French are the official languages of Canada for communications and services from the federal government to the public. Members of the public have the right to communicate with and receive services from the Government of Canada in either English or French. When a third party is providing services to, or communicating with the public on its behalf, the institution will strive to ensure that the public's language rights are respected.

For example, content will be posted simultaneously in both official languages on their respective accounts, channels and pages. When social commentary features are enabled, users are encouraged to respond in the official language of their choice. Comments, video responses, and questions that require a response will be answered in the official language of origin. When summaries are provided, they are posted in both official languages simultaneously and are of equal quality.

Lastly, users should be aware that some links will direct users to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act and that these sources are only available in the language in which they are written.

Privacy

Service Canada’s social media accounts and channels are not hosted on Government of Canada Web sites. These accounts serve as an extension of the department’s presence on the Internet. Users are encouraged to read the privacy policy of all service providers, including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

Users should not share personal information, such as Social Insurance Number, home address, telephone numbers, and photographs of identifiable individuals.

For questions about your privacy rights, please contact our department’s Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator.

Accessibility

Third-party social media service providers are not bound by Government of Canada’s Web accessibility practices; however, Service Canada is committed to enhancing accessibility for visitors with disabilities. For example, we provide:

  • A link to an alternative interface to using the Twitter Web site for people with disabilities.
  • Links to the main repository of Service Canada videos on the more accessible Service Canada Web site with each video description.
  • A link to an accessible video player to allow users to copy and paste the URLs of YouTube videos for better viewing.
  • YouTube’s Caption and Transcript feature on our videos.