The City of Lake Stevens uses social media sites (including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube) as one way to communicate with the public, especially city residents and businesses, about City programs and services. Anyone accessing, browsing, or using a City social media site accepts the City’s social media policies.  

These policies may be modified at any time and are effective immediately upon posting unless otherwise stated. The City has no control over a third-party site’s privacy policy. 

City of Lake Stevens social media sites are limited public forums moderated by City employees. All posts and comments are public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act [RCW 42.56]. To ensure prohibited content is not displayed on city social media, all visitor posts must be approved. 

The following is prohibited on the City of Lake Stevens social media sites:  

• Comments that violate the social media’s terms of use. 
• Posts and comments that promote or advertise commercial services, entities, or products except as stipulated in City marketing plans or determined by the City to be essential to economic development. 
• Political statements, including comments that endorse or oppose political candidates or ballot propositions, are prohibited under state law (RCW 42.52.180). 
• Religious statements, including comments that endorse or oppose any type of religion, religious opinions or activities. 
• Posts and comments that include vulgar, threatening or harassing language, and personal attacks or unsupported accusations. 
• Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, socioeconomic status, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or other protected status. 
• Obscene or sexual content or links to obscene or sexual content. 
• Illegal activity or encouragement of illegal activity. 
• Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems. 
• Comments from children under thirteen cannot be posted, to comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act.  By posting on the City social media site, users acknowledge that they are at least thirteen years old.  Those twelve years old or younger may e-mail the City instead. 
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party. 
• Off-topic posts. 
• Anonymous posts. 

 The City of Lake Stevens reserves the right to remove posted content that does not comply with these policies: 

• Persons who post content in violation of the City's policy three times within two years will be blocked from posting on the site. 

Communications with the City through social media sites does not constitute a legal or official notice or comment. 

• In an emergency, always call 911. 
• For public records requests, please visit the City’s Requesting Public Records page https://www.lakestevenswa.gov/93/Public-Records-Request. 
• To register an official comment about a specific City project or program, please contact City Hall and your call will be directed to the appropriate department. 

The City may link to other social media sites to provide helpful resources or more information. Providing such links does not imply the City’s endorsement or recommendation.