EOHU’s Terms of Use: Instagram

Thank you for following us on Instagram! The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) uses Instagram as one tool in its efforts to communicate clearly, quickly and in an interesting manner with the residents of eastern Ontario.

These Terms of Use describe how we will communicate with residents of eastern Ontario via Instagram. By subscribing to our Instagram account you are agreeing to these Terms of Use. EOHU does not endorse any of the views shared by users. Comments in violation of these Terms of Use may result in EOHU deleting the comment and blocking the user in question to prevent further inappropriate comments. The EOHU may suspend, change or discontinue any aspect of their Instagram account at any time.

The EOHU is not responsible nor liable for any costs, losses or damages arising from the use or access to its Instagram account.

Content

Posts on the EOHU Instagram account will cover various topics related to public health, including, but not limited to, EOHU campaigns, relevant health information for our region, 3rd party web content of interest, advisories and warnings, and media releases. We will also strive to provide interactive content.

Posting Frequency

The number of posts will vary depending on relevant material available each day, but will most likely be around 1-3 posts a day. During some periods, we may post more or less frequently than average.

Feedback and Messages

Feedback and interaction is highly encouraged. Users must abide by these Terms of Use as well as the general Instagram Terms of Service. All comments and questions sent to the Instagram account will be read, and any emerging themes or helpful suggestions will be passed on to the relevant people at the Health Unit. Although we may not be able to reply individually to all messages, they will be handled on a case-by-case basis and responded to when deemed appropriate.

If we feel a comment or enquiry presented to EOHU requires a response and/or a greater level of detail, we may develop a formal response and distribute the information through other channels such as email, our website, or other social media channels. We will pay attention to emerging themes and helpful suggestions and look forward to this potential interaction.

Response Time

We recognize that the Web is a 24/7 medium and your comments are welcome at any time. However, moderating and posting of comments will generally occur during regular business hours. Exceptions to this may include EOHU events taking place outside of regular hours. EOHU is not responsible for offering this service outside of the stipulated hours. EOHU cannot guarantee it will respond to all questions or comments.

Please note: we cannot offer medical advice, diagnosis or treatment via Instagram. If you have a question about a specific medical condition, you should contact your healthcare provider. If you live in Ontario, you can also call Health811 at 811, or chat online at https://healthconnectontario.health.gov.on.ca/static/guest/chat-online. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.

Media Requests

We encourage the media to follow traditional channels to make a media request by calling the EOHU at 613-933-1375 or toll free: 1-800-267-7120.

Policy on Comments

The EOHU welcomes your comments and will not discriminate against any views. Disagreements and constructive arguments are acceptable as part of the discussion. However, abusive or insulting comments are not acceptable. We expect the content of posts to be respectful of others. The views of participants commenting on the Instagram account do not necessarily represent the views of EOHU.

The Eastern Ontario Health Unit:

  • Requires a valid Instagram account for every comment;
  • Will moderate and review posted comments and may participate or intervene, as appropriate. While EOHU will not respond to all questions or comments, we will attempt to provide response and/or additional information or links when possible;
  • Expects posted comments to be relevant to the section they are posted to and to the overall topic of the page;
  • Disclaims all liability for comments shared to the Instagram account;
  • Reserves the right to edit or remove comments that are not appropriate, including:
    • Racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic, slanderous, insulting, or life-threatening messages
    • Serious, not proven, not supported, or not accurate accusations against individuals or organizations
    • Abusive, aggressive, coarse, vulgar, violent, obscene, or pornographic comments
    • Comments that encourage or suggest illegal activity
    • Messages that infringe copyright or other intellectual property rights
    • Solicitations, advertisements, or endorsements of any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency
    • Messages that attempt to defame or defraud any financial, commercial, or non-governmental agency
    • Announcements from labour or political organizations
    • Messages written in a language other than English or French
    • Comments not sent by the author, or which are posted by anonymous or robot accounts
    • Repetitive posts copied and pasted by multiple users
    • Unintelligible or irrelevant messages
    • Messages that are off-topic and any other message that the forum moderators feel will not add to the flow of debate, and
    • Messages that infringe upon an individual's privacy

In short, be respectful and make sure your comments are relevant to the topic under which you are responding. Anyone acting contrary to these Terms may be blocked from posting to our Instagram account. The moderators reserve the right to remove any message, in whole or in part.

Privacy

The EOHU corporate Instagram account is not affiliated with any government organization and represents our presence on Instagram. Users are encouraged to read Instagram’s privacy policy.

Information shared with EOHU on Instagram is subject to the provisions of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), 2004. This means that the information may be accessed and disclosed in response to a request under this act.

Users are advised not to share personal information. Personal information includes home addresses and telephone numbers, photographs containing images of identifiable individuals, and any other information consisting of personal information as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act. Should you have any questions about your privacy rights as explained in this notice, please contact the EOHU directly.

Accessibility

Instagram, as a third party service provider, is not bound by the policies for web accessibility as set out by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).

Links to Other Websites

Links to websites not under the control of the Eastern Ontario Health Unit are provided for the convenience of users. We are not responsible for the accuracy, currency, or reliability of the content of other sites. We do not offer any guarantee in that regard. We are not responsible for the information found through these links, nor do we endorse the sites or their content.

EOHU Employee Use of Instagram

Some EOHU employees use Instagram outside of work hours and in their personal capacity under their own names or pseudonyms. Despite their professional affiliation with EOHU, the conduct of employees on Instagram in their personal capacity does not represent the official position of EOHU. The conduct of these employees should be considered as that of private citizens.

Copyrights

Users agree not to alter, edit, delete, remove or modify the meaning, appearance or purpose of any content available through the social media account, including proprietary rights notices.

Additional Information

If you are looking for information about the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, please consult our website (www.eohu.ca). The usual ways of contacting us for official correspondence are detailed in the Contact section of our website.

Source: Social Media Terms of Use. Public Health Agency of Canada, 2016. Adapted and reproduced with permission from the Minister of Health, 2017. ©All Rights Reserved.