Top 5 Reasons to Archive Your Organization’s Social Media
There is no denying the fact that social media has become an all-important part of everyone’s life. It impacts everything from your personal preferences to political inclinations. This has made it increasingly vital for organizations to monitor and analyze their social media footprint. A large portion of employees tend to access their social media accounts while at work. This makes it important for organizations to stay prepared for any risks associated with that behavior.
These are 5 reasons why organizations should consider archiving their social media data:
1. Shift from Work Emails to Social Media Communication
There is an increase in organizational collaboration using social media. Almost every sixth person in the world has an account on Facebook. The rest are linked with other social media platforms in some form. More than a billion people are thought to access social media while at work.
If organizations have a responsibility to archive emails, they need to archive social media as well. An increasing number of people are shifting to direct messaging on social media platforms over emails for the purpose of collaboration.
2. Archive Because You Have a Duty to Preserve
All organizations as per the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP) have a duty to protect their contractors, personnel, and organization by preserving all manners of Electronically Stored Information (ESI). FRCP amendments come into force especially when litigation can be reasonably foreseen in the company’s near future.
However, the FRCP mandate brings a unique set of challenges for businesses that may be involved in a lawsuit. The duty to preserve requires electronic communication, including emails to be preserved. Without having quick and easy access to this data, an organization could face sanctions, fines, and similar penalties.
3. Compliance with Regulations
Social media archive may be necessary to comply with regulations, such as court decisions and other types of guidance. This is especially true if the organization is in the middle of a lawsuit.
4. Archive Social Media to Curb Inappropriate Employee Use
A survey conducted in 2012 found that over 79% of organizations failed to archive social media content of their users. This is when 13% of organizations terminated one or more employees because of something they posted on an online platform.
Employee social media abuse can be of various forms. Few real-life examples are:
- Data breach – Patient information was posted on Facebook by the employees at the Tri-City Medical Center in California
- Slacking – California’s city clerk was asked to resign when she was caught tweeting during council meetings
- Badmouthing – An EMS employee was fired when she made fun of her boss on Facebook
- Vulgarity – A social media strategist working for Chrysler was booted when she accidentally posted a vulgar tweet on the company feed
These are just a few ways employees misused their social media accounts to bring harm to their employers. It can be difficult justifying a termination on the grounds of online posts when you don’t have archives since employees are quick to delete content.
5. Prevent and Account for Data Leaks
Data leaks can have far reaching consequences. 13% of organizations, according to the Osterman survey, experienced some form of sensitive information leak on Facebook. The figures are 10% through LinkedIn and 9% on Twitter.
A data breach can lead to potential litigation, damaged reputation, and financial losses.
