Use of social media

Start participating now! Join the discussion at humanservices.gov.au/speechbubble and while you’re there complete the short survey.

The Department of Human Services updates official accounts on the social networking websites Facebook and Twitter as an additional way of sharing information with you about government support, services and payments.

speechbubble

Telephone self service - what do you want?

The Department of Human Services will be running speechbubble, an online forum, from Tuesday 15 May to Friday 25 May.

We are asking people to share with us what services they’d like to access via telephone self service, how they want to get support if they need assistance or encounter problems when using telephone self service, and other preferences they may have that would encourage them to use it more frequently. Tell us what you think!

speechbubble is an online forum where customers, staff and stakeholders can discuss and provide feedback on Department of Human Services' initiatives.

speechbubble will be available online at various times to inform and engage with the public on different initiatives. It is a less formal and more immediate way for the Department of Human Services to consult more directly and widely with the public to develop citizen-centred products and services.

Find out how we've used speechbubble to shape our service commitments.

Twitter and Facebook accounts

The Department of Human Services currently operates the following official accounts on Facebook and Twitter:

Department of Human Services General Manager and Spokesperson, Hank Jongen

Department of Human Services National Graduate Program

Student Update — Department of Human Services support for youth and students

Centrelink

What you can expect from us

If you follow us on Twitter or ‘like’ our Facebook Pages, you can expect short updates with the latest news, information and services from the Department of Human Services.

We update and monitor our official social networking accounts during business hours, Monday to Friday.

All information provided on our social networking accounts is general in nature and is subject to change over time. While we endeavour to ensure the information published on our social networking accounts is current and accurate at the time of publication, we advise you to always verify its currency and relevance for your purposes.

Remember, any posts you make on social networking websites like Facebook and Twitter are publicly viewable and searchable. Please be aware that what you post may remain online indefinitely and can be found through search engines and online archives.

We ask that you protect your personal privacy and the privacy of others by not posting personal information on the department's social networking accounts. Where possible, we will remove posts that contain personal information.

If you have a question about your personal circumstances, or to make a formal enquiry, comment or to provide feedback to the department, refer to contact us.

Facebook/Twitter Acceptable Use Policy

This user policy is in addition to any user policy or terms and conditions imposed by the Facebook/Twitter host.

As a user of the Department of Human Services' Facebook/Twitter pages you may express your views, comments, ideas, insights, and criticisms about the department.

At the same time, you should show courtesy and respect to others and must not use the wall to abuse others, expose others to offensive or inappropriate content, or for any unlawful purpose.

Please be aware that the department may change this policy at any time.

When using the Facebook wall, please ensure that you:

  • do protect your personal privacy and that of others by not including personal information of either yourself or of others in your posts to the wall (for example, names, email addresses, private addresses or phone numbers)
  • do represent your own views and not impersonate or falsely represent any other person
  • do not be abusive, harass or threaten others
  • do not make defamatory or libellous comments
  • do not use insulting, provocative or hateful language
  • do not use obscene or offensive language
  • do not post material to the wall that infringes the intellectual property rights of others
  • do not post multiple versions of the same view to the wall or make excessive postings on a particular issue
  • do not promote commercial interests in your posts to the wall
  • do not include internet addresses or links to websites, or any email addresses in your post to the wall
  • do not make unproven or unsupported accusations against individuals or organisations
  • do not encourage conduct that may or would constitute a criminal offence or give rise to civil liability, or that otherwise violates any local, provincial, national or international law or regulation anywhere in the world do not incite hatred on the basis of any personal characteristic, including on the basis of race, gender, marital or domestic status, disability, sexuality or age
  • do not identify matters that are currently the subject of legal proceedings or would break a court’s non-publication order
  • do not make comments that are irrelevant to the topic being discussed.

The Department of Human Services reserves the right to enforce this Acceptable Use Policy at its discretion. The department may remove any posted messages that it considers to be in breach of this policy. The department may also block or delete you as a user if it considers that that you have breached this policy.

If you have any questions about this policy, please email digital.media@humanservices.gov.au

Facebook/Twitter Privacy Statement

The Department of Human Services records any information posted to the department's Facebook/Twitter page and uses that information for the purpose of administering its Facebook/Twitter page and considering and/or addressing any comments made.

No attempt will be made to further identify individuals except where authorised or required by law. The department is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of Facebook/Twitter or any linked websites.

Disclaimer

Material on the Department of Human Services Facebook and Twitter pages has been submitted by users of those pages.

The department accepts no responsibility whether express or implied for the accuracy, currency and completeness of any information posted on department's Facebook or Twitter pages or its relevance and suitability for any purpose. For further information about the department please visit our website, or contact us.

The department does not endorse or otherwise support any view and opinion posted by a user or contributor on the department's Facebook and Twitter pages.

Social media policy for Department of Human Services staff

The Department of Human Services has a social media policy to guide and support staff in their use of social media for work, and as private citizens. We've had interest from other government departments in our policy so we've decided to share the policy and video created for staff.

For more information email digital.media@humanservices.gov.au

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