OMB has also issued related guidance covering agency use of third-party websites and applications, requiring agencies to take specific steps to protect individual privacy.
The memo builds on guidance issued in April – “Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act” – by calling for transparent privacy policies, individual notice, and a careful analysis of the privacy implications whenever agencies choose to use third-party technologies to engage with the public.
For example, according to M-10-23, an agency should examine a third party’s privacy policy to evaluate the risks and determine whether the website or application is appropriate for the agency’s use prior to using it.
If an agency posts a link that leads to a third-party website or any other location that is not part of an official government domain, it should alert visitors they are being directed to a non-government website.
Agencies must also must be upfront whenever using a third-party application, and appropriately brand it to distinguish between public and private entities, as well as add the agency emblem to its profile on any social media website where it has established an official presence.
