Commenting Policy
The Washington State Department of Health welcomes your comments and encourages polite and productive conversation. Your comments are visible to the public and subject to public record disclosure laws.
We do not approve, endorse, or verify the scientific accuracy of comments posted by our followers. We encourage everyone to research health information and use vetted, reputable sources that have been scientifically reviewed for accuracy.
Similar to other WA State Agencies, the Washington State Department of Health reserves the right to remove and hide comments, as well as offenders, at the discretion of agency staff for the following violations:
- Offensive language, photos, or other content
- Including, but not limited to: profanity; discriminatory statements based on race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, disability, or sexual orientation; threatening or harassing content; hate speech; promotion of illegal activity and photos of nudity or violence
- Name calling or personal attacks
- Spam or repetitive posts that are copied and pasted, or very similar
- Violate trademarks or copyrights
- Promote or oppose any political candidate or ballot initiative
- Contain solicitations or advertisements
- Sharing private, personal or protected information
Before you share, think:
- Who made it?
- What is the source?
- Where did it come from?
- Why are you sharing this?
- When was it published?
Here are some links to more misinformation and disinformation tips:
- How to Spot and Combat Health Misinformation (American Society for Microbiology)
- 10 Ways to Spot Disinformation on the Internet (AARP)
- How to spot misinformation—and what to do about it (Vanderbilt University)
This comment policy is subject to amendment or modification at any time to ensure its continued use is consistent with its intended purpose as a limited forum. Our Facebook filter is set to ‘strong.' Comments that violate Facebook's Community Standards may be automatically removed or hidden by Facebook. Comments on social media do not take the place of any official notifications or public comments to Department of Health.
If you have questions or comments about this policy, please email socialmedia@doh.wa.gov.
Connect With Us
The Department of Health is available on these social media platforms for you to get public health news how and where you want it.
