Social media regulations

Club and Society Social Media Regulations

As clubs and societies, you not only represent yourselves, but you also represent Warwick Students’ Union. As a result, you need to follow the same rules and regulations as the SU and its staff (including Full-Time Officers). Your club/society social media account is yours to manage, to encourage students to join your club/society and to let them know what events you may be running. However, you must follow these regulations to ensure you do not alienate any potential or current members and potentially undermine sponsorship relations. These regulations therefore are used to determine what clubs/societies cannot post on the different social media platforms that they may use, and cover all club/society engagement with this media (including graphics, posts, stories, polls, messages and comments).

These regulations apply to club/society accounts. For individual members’ accounts, the University’s Social Media Policy takes precedence, unless an individual is indicating or claiming the post is on behalf of the club or society. Clubs or societies who fail to abide by these regulations will face an SU investigation and may, upon investigation by SU staff, face sanctions as in byelaw 5.

SU Regulations regarding society and club social media use:

1. The social media page shall use the name they are identified with in their handover pack or constitution.
2. A society/club shall not post media, including physical media (e.g. posters), depicting any of the following:
   1. Libelous material, or anything encouraging or referencing libelous material
   2. Sensitive or confidential information, including passwords and confidential WSU or sponsorship business
   3. Content that breaches copyright or contains other people’s/organisations’ material without permission from the creator
   4. Posts that are discriminatory or could be considered as harassment, including posts that are racist, sexist, religiously discriminating, homophobic, transphobic, ageist and ableist
   5. Posts that glorify or reference a recognised terrorist group
   6. Acts of violence, threatening violence or inciting violence
   7. Posts that threaten or intimidate individuals, whether a part of the club/society or external to the club/society/University
   8. Posts that condone, encourage or glamorise anti-social behaviour, or refer to the effects of drunkenness in a favourable manner – including posts that glamorise or encourage drinking games or excessive alcoholic consumption
   9. Posts that encourage or reference breakage of SU regulations
   10. Posts that depict serious injury or death
   11. Nudity or depictions of sexual acts
   12. Any other illegal activities not covered above
   13. Posts encouraging illegal activities
3. If filming or taking pictures of members, then signs should be up saying that pictures will be taken and/or filming is being performed. If recording is taking place of individuals on their own then individual consent should also be gained. Individuals who do not wish to have themselves filmed or photographed should inform someone as soon as they can.

Those wishing to report a breakage of these regulations should submit an SU complaint via the Complaints Form