Social media terms and conditions

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) is a New Zealand government agency focused on helping people to be independent, and in turn building safe, strong, healthy families and communities.

Purpose of MSD's social media accounts

We use social media to share MSD’s work such as training, partnerships, and real experiences from clients and staff.

We also share announcements, service changes, consultations, and emergency information for clients and the wider public.

Protecting your privacy (and the privacy of others)

Please do not share any of your own, or anyone else’s, private information on MSD’s social media accounts (including in private messages).

If there's something you need to discuss relating to a specific client situation please contact Work and Income.

Terms of use

We welcome your feedback and ask you to be respectful in your comments and your opinion of others' comments. Please stay on topic and do not upload content or post comments that are unrelated to the purpose of MSD’s social media accounts. Do not use language or post content that:

  • is or appears to be spam or contains a virus
  • is racist, sexist or discriminatory
  • contains insults or put downs
  • is likely to be seen by others as offensive, inflammatory or provocative (including swearing and obscene or vulgar comments)
  • contains potentially harmful advice
  • is inaccurate or misleading
  • violates the Terms of Use of the platform where it is being posted
  • breaks the law or encourages others to do so (this includes defamation, breaching privacy, breaching another person’s intellectual property rights such as copyright, condoning illegal activity and breaching any court orders)

When engaging with MSD social media accounts, don't post personal information – addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other online contact details – relating either to you or other individuals. Don't impersonate or falsely claim to represent a person or an organisation. Don't make any commercial endorsement or promotion of any product, service or publication.

Responding to private messages and comments

We check all private messages and try to respond to them within two working days, though typically response times are much shorter.

Please don’t share any personal or private information (like a client number or IRD number) with us over social media, including in private messages.

We are only able to support with general queries and encourage users get in touch with Work and Income for discussing client matters

Moderating comments or blocking users

Any comments that breach our terms of use will be hidden or removed by MSD. If a user violates this policy on an ongoing basis, they may be temporarily or permanently blocked. MSD accepts no liability in any way connected to the use of, or access to, the MSD social media accounts.

Monitoring outside of business hours

This page is not monitored outside of business hours. If you need to contact us or any of our services, please use the contact information on the MSD / Work and Income websites: www.msd.govt.nz/  | www.workandincome.govt.nz/

Endorsement

MSD doesn't necessarily endorse any website or organisation, which the MSD social media accounts posts links to / reposts etc. MSD social media accounts liking, reacting to, engaging with or sharing information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation from MSD, it is solely for the purpose of sharing information.

Feedback / Complaints process

You can provide feedback about MSD’s social media accounts or raise any concerns with us.

You can private message us with any feedback or complaints related to our use of social media, and we will do our best to resolve it.

You can also make a formal complaint through the MSD website. For information on our formal complaint process, please visit:

www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/contact-us/complaints/index.html