Social media policy

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has a Twitter, Facebook and YouTube account and we invite you to follow us for information and updates on consumer issues, scam alerts and product recalls:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/consumeraffrsNZ
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ministry-of-Consumer-Affairs/166862443348068
YouTube: www.youtube/minconsumeraffairs

MCA’s social media accounts will be maintained and updated by the Information and Communications team within the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.

Why is MCA using social media?

Like many other government departments, we will use social media to keep people informed about consumer issues, scam alerts and product recalls, news, upcoming events and campaigns we think might interest you. We hope that our channels will:

• inform you about scams, product safety issues, consumer issues and anything else we think you should know about
• supplement information published on our website and in press releases
• keep you informed of upcoming events, campaigns, alerts and news
• link with other government organisations in New Zealand and overseas
• extend the reach of our existing communication channels and further engage with our community.

We are also aware of the ever-changing nature of social media and Web 2.0, so these goals will be regularly reviewed and updated if necessary.

You should contact us by email or in writing if you have:

• a formal request, comment or enquiry
• a response to an item published for public comment

Will MCA respond to replies and messages on social media channels?

We will aim to respond to as many replies as possible but please understand that we will only be accessing our account during business hours.

If your matter is urgent please call us. Visit our contact us page.

Why isn’t MCA following me back on Twitter, or my friend on Facebook/YouTube?

At this stage, MCA will only be following major stakeholders, other NZ government and overseas government and other counterpart agency accounts, please do not take it personally. This is so we can best manage our time and account. Please let us know of any organisation that you think we should be following.

MCA, social media and your privacy

When you follow us on Twitter, we do not receive your email or any information about you other than what is on your bio. Occasionally we may invite you to take part in a survey, provide feedback or sign up to email updates. MCA’s Privacy Statement governs any information we collect from these activities.

Disclaimer

The contents of our social media accounts are intended for informational purposes only. MCA shall in no event accept any liability for loss or damage suffered by any person or body due to information provided on these sites or linked sites.

The information on our social media sites and all government web sites is provided on the basis that persons accessing the web site undertake responsibility for assessing the relevance and accuracy of its content.

Thanks to Mosman Municipal Council for permission to use their Twitter policy as a guide to MCA’s social media policy.