Some of the most popular Web 2.0 technologies in use today are  social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter. Federal Agencies are Increasingly Using Web 2.0 Technologies

Federal agencies are increasingly using Web 2.0 technologies to  enhance services and interactions with the public. Federal Web  managers use these applications to connect to people in new ways. As of July 2010, we identified that 22 of 24 major federal agencies  had a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Table 1 presents  examples of Web 2.0 technologies and their current uses in the  federal government. Federal agencies have been adapting Web 2.0 technologies to  support their individual missions. Determining Appropriate Agency Use of Web 2.0 Technologies Presents Challenges

While the use of Web 2.0 technologies can transform how federal  agencies engage the public by allowing citizens to be more involved  in the governing process, agency use of such technologies can also  present challenges related to privacy, security, records  management, and freedom of information. Privacy and Security Challenges

Determining how the Privacy Act of 1974 applies to  government use of social media. Extending privacy protections to the collection and use of  personal information by third party providers. Safeguarding personal information from security threats that  target Web 2.0 technologies. However, federal  guidance may be needed for employees on how to use social media  Web sites properly and how to handle personal information in the  context of social media. A challenge associated with  government use of Web 2.0 technologies, including government  blogs and wikis and Web pages hosted by commercial providers, is  the question of whether information exchanged through these  technologies constitute federal records pursuant to the Federal  Records Act. Given  these complex considerations, it may be challenging for federal  agencies engaging the public via Web 2.0 technologies to assess the  information they generate and receive via these technologies to  determine its status as federal records. Establishing mechanisms for preserving Web 2.0 information  as records. Federal agencies’ use of Web 2.0 technologies could pose challenges  in appropriately responding to FOIA requests. Federal Agencies Have Taken Steps to Identify and Start Addressing Web 2.0 Technology Issues

As federal agencies have increasingly adopted Web 2.0 technologies,  often by making use of commercially provided services, information  technology officials have begun to consider the array of privacy,  security, records management, and freedom of information issues  that such usage poses. In April 2009, the General Services Administration announced  ●  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in response to  President Obama’s January 2009 memorandum promoting  transparency and open government, recently issued guidance  intended to (1) clarify when and how the Paperwork Reduction Act  of 1995 (PRA) applies to federal agency use of social media and  Web-based interactive technologies; and (2) help federal agencies  protect privacy when using third-party Web sites and applications. However, determining the appropriate use of  these new technologies presents new potential challenges to the  ability of agencies to protect the privacy and security of sensitive  information, including personal information, shared by individuals  interacting with the government and to the ability of agencies to  manage, preserve, and make available official government records.
Why GAO Did This Study

"Web 2.0" technologies--such as Web logs ("blogs"), social networking Web sites, video- and multimedia-sharing sites, and "wikis"--are increasingly being utilized by federal agencies to communicate with the public. These tools have the potential to, among other things, better include the public in the governing process. However, agency use of these technologies can present risks associated with properly managing and protecting government records and sensitive information, including personally identifiable information. In light of the rapidly increasing popularity of Web 2.0 technologies, GAO was asked to identify and describe current uses of Web 2.0 technologies by federal agencies and key challenges associated with their use. To accomplish this, GAO analyzed federal policies, reports, and guidance related to the use of Web 2.0 technologies and interviewed officials at selected federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the General Services Administration, and the National Archives and Records Administration.

What GAO Found

Federal agencies are using Web 2.0 technologies to enhance services and support their individual missions. Federal Web managers use these applications to connect to people in new ways. As of July 2010, we identified that 22 of 24 major federal agencies had a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Several challenges in federal agencies' use of Web 2.0 technologies have been identified: (1) Privacy and security. Agencies are faced with the challenges of determining how the Privacy Act of 1974, which provides certain protections to personally identifiable information, applies to information exchanged in the use of Web 2.0 technologies, such as social networking sites. Further, the federal government may face challenges in determining how to appropriately limit collection and use of personal information as agencies utilize these technologies and how and when to extend privacy protections to information collected and used by third-party providers of Web 2.0 services. In addition, personal information needs to be safeguarded from security threats, and guidance may be needed for employees on how to use social media Web sites properly and how to handle personal information in the context of social media. (2) Records management and freedom of information. Web 2.0 technologies raise issues in the government's ability to identify and preserve federal records. Agencies may face challenges in assessing whether the information they generate and receive by means of these technologies constitutes federal records and establish mechanisms for preserving such records, which involves, among other things, determining the appropriate intervals at which to capture constantly changing Web content. The use of Web 2.0 technologies can also present challenges in appropriately responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests because there are significant complexities in determining whether agencies control Web 2.0-generated content, as understood within the context of FOIA. Federal agencies have begun to identify some of the issues associated with Web 2.0 technologies and have taken steps to start addressing them. For example, the Office of Management and Budget recently issued guidance intended to (1) clarify when and how the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 applies to federal agency use of social media and Web-based interactive technologies; and (2) help federal agencies protect privacy when using third-party Web sites and applications.