Public Advocate Jumaane Williams calls for transparency in government communications
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams testifies that New Yorkers should understand who is communicating with them and with what resources, noting city social media is branded but third-party communications raise new questions about distinguishing official government messages.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
My name is Jermaine Williams, Public Advocate of the City of New York.
I want to thank Chair Brewer and members of the Governmental Operations State and Federal Legislative Committee for holding this hearing and for the opportunity to share the statement.
In order to create effective civic engagement, New Yorkers should readily understand who is communicating with them and what capacity and with what resources.
City agencies use social media to communicate information about various services, emergencies, and opportunities.
The city's own social media policy recognizes that these platforms provide agencies with ways to directly and meaningfully reach constituents and disseminate information about services it may provide.
Currently, social media content from NYC agencies is branded as such, and individuals can see that it comes from a government source.
Simultaneously, the ever-changing digital landscape creates new questions about how New Yorkers will continue to be able to distinguish official government communications from communications distributed by third parties.
At its core, government communication should be rooted in transparency.
New Yorkers should know who is communicating with them and where the public resources are being used.
In a moment where deep fakes and misinformation from the highest level of government make a public discernment increasingly difficult, it's even more important than ever here in New York City that we don't just follow every rule for compliance with the government.
but that we build a trust with the public that federal counterparts in Washington, D.C.
Seem intent on destroying.