Social Media User Acknowledgement

With more prevalent use of social media in City of Bismarck (herein referred to as the ‘City’) communication, the balance between First Amendment rights and civil discourse is more visible than ever. The City values its citizens’ right to be heard and remains committed to fostering a respectful, transparent dialogue with the community. While individuals have a constitutional right to express their opinions, that right does not extend to unlawful speech such as threats or harassment. The City’s social media platforms are intended to promote civil, courteous communication between the public and City employees. Staff are encouraged to respond to inquiries that are made respectfully and constructively. However, when communication is uncivil, threatening, or abusive, staff may limit engagement to maintain a productive public forum.

Social Media Comment Acknowledgement 

The City monitors its social media accounts to the best of its ability, but accounts are not always monitored. The public is asked to call local law enforcement in the event of an emergency – do not use social media to report emergency situations or time-sensitive issues.  

The City reserves the right to hide comments, including the below examples, after verifying the matter with our Legal Department: 

  • Content that compromises the safety or security of the public or public systems. 
  • Content that constitutes or encourages illegal activity. 
  • Content that is threatening. 
  • Content that violates NDCC Chapter 16.1-10-02, which prohibit use of state or political subdivision services or property for use in campaign for, or against, the nomination or election of a candidate or the qualification, passage, or defeat of a ballot question. 
  • Content that infringes on copyrights. 
  • Content that is defaming. 
  • Content that is spam. 
  • Content that is graphic, obscene or explicit. 
  • Content that is solicitation or advertisement. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. 
  • Content that reveals personal, medical, or financial information of any individual that is not otherwise part of the public record. 
  • Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation. 

Additional Information 

As a reminder, the City’s website is traditionally used as its first mechanism for sharing information, with subsequent efforts. The City may subsequently augment the information through social media communication. Additionally: 

  • Participation in any social media platform, account or content is at the user’s risk. 
  • All users take responsibility for their own public comments and direct messages. 
  • External links appearing on the account are not endorse by the City. 
  • Social media sites not specifically established in accordance with the City’s Social media policy are not representations of the organization. 
  • Unauthorized use of the City logo and organization branding is a violation of copyright. 
  • The City is not responsible for any content posted to unauthorized sites. 
  • Please note that all comments and direct messages are subject to public records law.
  • While the City understands that part of social media’s appeal is the ability for comments to bring new corners of any conversation to light, best practices are that comments for a City topic/post should generally relate to the subject matter.  

Updated July 22, 2025

Bismarck City Commission