U.S. ARMY SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDE

U.S. Army Social Media Requirements

• The social media directory registers official social media accounts of organizations with a dedicated 1035 civilian or 46 series military occupational specialty with release authority that is OPSEC level II trained and fulfills all training required of social media managers. All social media accounts submitted for registration must be managed by a dedicated Public Affairs Officer, typically at the brigade level and above.

  Social Media Managers must complete these OPSEC training courses:

  • OPSEC for EOP Operators (CAC Login)
  • DOD Cyber Exchange - Social Networking and Your Online Identity (CAC Login)

  It is also highly encouraged that social media managers also complete OPSEC Level II certification. This training is coordinated through your S2 shop or equivalent.

  ALARACT 289/2013, Army OPSEC Training for External Official Presence Operators states that all commanders will ensure that those personnel who publish information on external online presences receive mandatory annual OPSEC training.

• Commanding officer or qualified public affairs officer approval to establish the platform

• Must have release authority to post content

  Content that is released to the public on social media platforms requires review by a Public Affairs Officer that has release authority from the commander.

  • Social media managers are not authorized to speak on behalf of the unit, the commander or the Army without delegated release authority.
  • It is highly recommended that social media managers are OPSEC Level II certified to avoid content on their unit's critical information list (CIL).
  • Content released to the public on social media platforms requires an OPSEC review. OPSEC Level II certification and delegated release authority meets the requirements outlined in AR 530-1 - Operations Security (OPSEC).

• Point of contact: Must list a valid .mil or .gov email address

• Official URL

  The account must have a URL to an official U.S. Army website. Use your command's website or www.army.mil if your organization does not have a website.

• User Terms of Agreement

  An account must have a user terms of agreement statement listed on the social media platform that informs visitors of what is authorized when interacting on the platform. It must include:

  • General disclaimer
  • Privacy and security disclaimers
  • Copyright and trademark disclaimers
  • Moderated account disclaimer
  • Freedom of Information Act notice

  Resources:

  • Specific wording can be found at GSA’s Negotiated Terms of Service
  • DOD Social Media user agreements
  • U.S. Army Facebook’s terms of use statement

• Labeled as an official account

  In order for an organization to maintain an official social media account, it must clearly identify that the account is “official” somewhere on the page in accordance with DOD and U.S. Army policy. An example of the specific wording can be found in the left-hand column of the U.S. Army Facebook page at or at the top of the U.S. Army Twitter account.

• Open to the public

  All official accounts must be open to the public. Private groups, accounts or feeds will not be registered on the U.S. Army’s social media directory.

• Classified as a Government Organization

  Only official accounts on Facebook can be registered and should be labeled as a “government organization.” The use of a Facebook profile, community or group page for official purposes violates the government’s terms of service agreement with Facebook.

• Security

  Ensure your security settings are maximized and include two-step verification if available by the platform. For additional information about security, review these Social Networking Safety Tips.