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Public Records Laws and Social Media Retention in
Maryland

Maryland Public Information Act and Social Media

The Maryland Public Information Act governs the management and preservation of government public records. The Act includes all records “in any form” related to public business. Under this definition, social media records in Maryland can be considered public records under the Act.

Guidance from the Maryland Attorney General

The State Attorney General’s guidance on the Maryland Public Information Act highlights the intention of the law to grant citizens a “broad right of access” to open government records. The document also clarifies that the Act is intentionally broad, with all records “generally fall[ing] within the definition of “public records.” Given this interpretation, social media records in Maryland can be considered a public record.

Maryland Social Media Records Management in Practice

The Town of Rock Hall’s social media policy provides guidelines for the Town’s and Citizen’s use of these platforms. The policy clearly states that social media content is subject to the Maryland Public Information Act. Under this policy, social media records in Maryland are a public record that must comply with Public Information Act retention requirements.

Social Media Record Retention Legal News in Maryland

Read about Maryland cases and precedents involving social media and public record retention.

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Maryland Governor settles for $65,000 and agrees to retain social media records after being sued for deleting comments and blocking users.

People in Maryland complained that the Governor has been deleting comments and blocking users, violating their 1st Amendment rights. The ACLU filed a lawsuit, and the Governor’s office settled by agreeing to pay $65,000 and update their social media policy to include a commitment to maintaining social media records.