DSHS Public Social Media Policy

Accessibility

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is committed to making its Web content accessible to all users and compliant with all current federal and state, and HHSC accessibility standards. See the DSHS Accessibility Policy page for more information.

Third-party websites are governed by their own accessibility policies and practices:

Privacy Notification

Only public information may be submitted to any DSHS social media sites. To protect privacy, visitors should exclude personally identifiable information, sensitive personal information, and any other personal information protected by law. If this or other confidential information is posted, DSHS will remove it as soon as practicably possible.

To contact customer service directly with questions or complaints, see the DSHS Contact Us page.

Public Information Act

Posts and comments on any DSHS social media site are public record and as such, may be subject to public information requests.

Open records requests under the Texas Public Information Act for social media content must follow the DSHS Open Records Policy.

Records Retention

Content posted by DSHS or the public on a DSHS social media website is a state record and is subject to state records retention requirements in Government Code Chapter 441, Subchapter L, 441.180-205.

Security

In its usage of social media, DSHS will comply with its posted Privacy and Security Policy.

Third-Party Website Policy

DSHS’ social media presence may include but is not limited to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These social media tools are hosted by third parties, and the use of those sites is governed by the social media providers’ own policies, such as their respective privacy policies and terms of service, and not by DSHS or the State of Texas:

Moderation and Monitoring Policy

Posted comments and other content do not necessarily represent the views of DSHS. External, non-DSHS links on this site do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of DSHS.

All content published on any DSHS social media site is subject to monitoring and all non-permissible content will be removed.

Non-permissible content includes, but is not limited to, comments, hyperlinks, including profile page links, and URLs that:

  • Share confidential or sensitive personal information.
  • Violate copyright.
  • Contain nudity, profanity or obscene, racist, sexist, or derogatory content or comments.
  • Are threatening, harassing, defamatory or discriminatory.
  • Contain information that could compromise public safety.
  • Incite or promote violence or illegal activities.
  • Promote political views or candidates.
  • Are commercial endorsements or spam.
  • Are off-subject or out of context.
  • Are otherwise illegal or violate DSHS agency policy.

Intellectual Property Rights and Ownership

DSHS respects the rights of all copyright holders, and therefore, has adopted and implemented a policy that provides for the removal of material that infringes on the rights of copyright holders. If any work has been copied in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, the aggrieved party should provide the following information required by the Online Copyright Infringement Liability Limitation Act of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 512:

  • A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
  • Identification of the copyright work claimed to have been infringed, or, if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
  • Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit TSBP to locate the material;
  • Information reasonably sufficient to permit TSBP to contact the complaining party;
  • A statement that the complaining party has a good-faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
  • A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

To contact customer service about copyright inquiries, please see the DSHS Contact Us page.

Linking Policy

External, non-DSHS links on any social media site do not constitute or imply an official endorsement by DSHS.

Although social media tools are not clearly defined as state websites, individuals linking to or from DSHS-related social media channels are strongly encouraged to adhere to the DSHS Link Policy.

Site Policies

Site Policies