Social Media User Agreement

In an effort to communicate with a larger audience, the City of Biddeford maintains various types of social media applications. By accessing these applications, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions stated below.

Terms of Use

The City of Biddeford’s social media accounts are for general public information only and are not monitored 24 hours per day. Communications and/or requests made through City of Biddeford social media sites in no way constitute a legal or official notice of or comment to the City. For example, a post or comment on a social media site requesting public records will not be considered a public records request to the City, and a post or comment on an issue or topic subject to a noticed comment period will not be considered part of the official record for that issue or topic. All formal requests, testimony and comments must be submitted in accordance with established City procedures. All public records requests must be directed to the City Clerk. Should you require a response from the City or wish to request City services, you must call the agency at 207-571-0700 or visit www.biddefordmaine.org for more information.

All users of a City of Biddeford social media site are also subject to the site’s own privacy policy. The City of Biddeford has no control over a site’s privacy policy or their modifications to it. The City of Biddeford also has no control over content, commercial advertisements, or other postings produced by the social media site that appear on the City of Biddeford’s social media site as part of the site’s environment. The City of Biddeford assumes no liability for any inaccuracies these social media sites may contain or for any consequences that may arise from changes to the site’s privacy policies, and does not guarantee that the social media sites will be uninterrupted or error-free.

Please also be aware that, under certain circumstance, content appearing on these pages may be subject to Maine’s public records laws and subject to disclosure by the agency if requested. This may include information about you that you make available through your privacy settings on this site on your own pages.

Comment Policy

The City of Biddeford intends to promote effective communication and maintain a respectful dialogue with users. While we encourage you to submit comments, please note that this is not an unlimited public forum. In that spirit, the City has developed the following rules for posting external comments and content on Biddeford social media sites.

The City’s social media system is monitored to ensure that posted comments and included content are constructive and suitable for all readers and users, while respecting a wide and unfettered range of opinions and points of view. So that you are advised and comfortable to participate fully, please consider before posting that the following prohibited material and subject matter shall NOT be allowed:

  • Profane language or content.
  • Abusive or disparaging comments directed at individual(s).
  • Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status or lack thereof, socio-economic status of individual(s), national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation.
  • Sexual expression, discrimination, harassment or content of any kind or links to sexual content or pornography whether of an adult, minor, or child.
  • Any expression of conduct or encouragement of illegal activity.
  • Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or the City’s public safety systems.
  • Any expression that infringes on copyrights or trademarks.
  • Comments that do not pertain to the topic under discussion, including but not limited to comments containing links to other websites or pages which are not relevant to the topic under discussion.
  • References to or inappropriate characterizations of individuals including personal attacks upon any member of the public, City employee, or City official.
  • Advertising or promotional announcements of private or commercial enterprises, even if not for profit, unless the City is co-sponsoring such activity or event. Only advertising (services) or promotional announcements (special events) for City-related business are allowed.
  • Individually identifiable information (e.g. address, phone number, or social security numbers) of specific individuals, be they City employees, officials, or members of the public.
  • Content that could compromise an ongoing police investigation.

The City of Biddeford reserves the right to restrict or refuse to publish or re-post any content that is deemed in violation of these guidelines or any applicable federal, state, or local law(s), including the terms of service or terms of use outlines by third-party social media application providers. The City of Biddeford reserves the right to block part or all of any given post/report or to block users who violate these terms from commenting for any period of time.

Any comment posted on City of Biddeford social media sites by anyone other than an authorized City staff member acting on behalf of the City, is the opinion of the commentator or poster only. Publication of a comment or post does not imply endorsement of or agreement by the City of Biddeford, nor do such comments necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the City of Biddeford government.