BSA’s Social Media Guidelines and Digital Safety

BSA’s Social Media Guidelines

When using social media to communicate, we require the following:

  • Everyone reviews and follows the terms of service and guidelines of that social media platform;
  • All Scouts and adult leaders follow the Scout Oath and Law;
  • All communication is positive and safe;
  • There are no private channels;
    • Such as private Facebook groups or invite-only YouTube channels.
  • Abide by the two-deep policy and all other youth protection policies.

We take this opportunity to remind you that a Lodge or Section social media account is an official Order of the Arrow account. As such professionalism and general scout conduct are expected. Keep in mind that all social media accounts must be monitored by a qualified adult such as a Lodge Advisor or a Staff Advisor. Social media requires a think skin. We ask that negative comments are not deleted unless they are inappropriate or otherwise violate the BSA’s Social Media Guidelines.

For a complete list of all BSA Social Media Guidelines and platform-specific guidelines visit https://scoutingwire.org/social-media-guidelines.

Digital Safety

It is important to note that all youth protection policies still apply online. This includes two-deep leadership, BSA’s ban on one-on-one contact, and all other policies regardless of the tool or service used to communicate.

Recordings of meetings are not allowed in the Boy Scouts of America, so we also do not allow users to upload or link recorded meetings or online activities.

You have a duty to safeguard personal information. Any personal information you collect, obtain, or have access to must be protected. A notice must also be provided at the time of collection. To share or disclose any youth information (such as posting their name on the leadership page), explicit consent must be given by a parent or guardian. We do not condone the collecting of information from youth under the age of 13. Information from these youthful arrowpersons must be collected from their parent or guardian.

For more information on Digital Safety and the BSA’s official guidelines please visit https://www.scouting.org/health-and-safety/safety-moments/digital-safety-and-online-scouting-activities.

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