On Tuesday, Oct. 20, Polk County commissioners voted unanimously to disable comments on all 21 county-run social media accounts, a decision that county officials say will curb misinformation and cut down on vulgarity.
Commissioner Bill Braswell led the move, noting that vulgar or inaccurate comments could hinder the county from providing reliable information.
“Our responsibility is to provide reliable information. Turning off comments allows us to continue using social media to keep residents informed without attaching a county-hosted comment section that too often becomes a source of misinformation and abuse,” Braswell said.
The resolution, first introduced at an Oct. 6 commission meeting, was approved two weeks later, though comments across some accounts had already been disabled before the vote.
Moving forward, Polk County officials said they plan to continue updating residents on social media but will transition to a solely informational format.
“We aren’t going to stop getting the information out to everyone. We are just trying to get rid of the distraction and potential danger of people posting erroneous information regarding essential operations and services,” said Communications Division Director Amber Smith. “If we are posting information about a hurricane coming towards Polk County and someone posts false information about shelters or road conditions, it could lead to tragic results.”
Though the resolution covers all of the county’s social media accounts, constitutional officers’ pages, including the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, are excluded from the decision.
Public comments will remain available to residents during Polk County Commission meetings.
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