Even Claude in 2 seconds knows it’s chaotic these days. —— 5 U.S.C. §§ 7321–7326 (The Hatch Act) is the most relevant. Federal employees who include an official title or position in their LinkedIn profile headline are not permitted to post or share messages directed at the success or failure of a political party, candidate, or partisan political group. Indicators that a personal account is being used as an official account include: the account identifies the individual as a federal employee, extensively uses photographs of official activities, or often references official activities. 5 C.F.R. § 2635.703 (Standards of Ethical Conduct) covers no information. Employees shall not make careless or intentional unauthorized disclosures of no information. Other unauthorized disclosures include the unauthorized dissemination of classified information, proprietary information, and the content of confidential and deliberative discussions. Agency-Level Policy (DOJ model, applicable across federal law enforcement) Department employees are required at all times to adhere to government-wide standards of conduct that apply to online communications, regardless of whether the employees are at work, off duty, or using government equipment. Employees may not use social media in a way that damages the efficiency of the department. Employees may not make comments that may be perceived as creating an appearance of official department sanction or endorsement. OPM Governmentwide Policy Federal Government Standards of Conduct do not prohibit federal employees from establishing personal social media accounts, but employees must ensure activities comply with the Standards and other applicable laws, including agency supplemental regulations and agency-specific policies. OPSEC (Operational Security) — The Biggest Concern for USSS Specifically Beyond social media rules, the deeper issue for Secret Service agents is OPSEC doctrine. Security programs and procedures protect classified matters, but information generally available to the public, as well as certain detectable indicators, can reveal the existence of — and sometimes details about — classified or sensitive information or undertakings. Indicators include personnel actions and movements that can be observed, including public releases and conversations. An agent publicly identifying as USSS on LinkedIn creates a permanent, searchable record that adversaries can use to map out who protects the president, where they’re stationed, and potentially their family connections.
