Legal & Safety Requirements for Social Media


Managing social media as part of UMSU isn’t just about crafting engaging content — it's also about ensuring that you’re upholding legal responsibilities and maintaining a safe, respectful space online. This article breaks down the key legal and safety requirements you need to understand and implement across your department’s channels.

Moderation Responsibilities

A 2021 High Court ruling determined that social media page owners are legally responsible for third-party comments on their posts. That means if someone posts defamatory, harmful, or illegal content in the comments section of your UMSU page, UMSU (and you, as a moderator) could be held liable.

To meet your obligations:
  • Regularly monitor your pages – Aim to check at least once or twice a day.
  • Hide or disable offensive comments – This is especially important outside business hours when CME is unavailable.
  • Use tools to minimise harm – Turn off reviews and disable posts from others on your Page to reduce risks.
  • Contact Comms for support – If you spot trolling, hate speech, or harmful content, report it to the Comms team via the Help Desk.
UMSU has a Facebook Terms of Use you can link on your pages to inform the public of expectations.

Online Safety for Staff and Students

Online spaces can expose individuals to stalking, harassment, or breaches of privacy. Protect yourself and your peers by following these tips:
  • Don’t engage with trolls. Hide the comment, take a screenshot, and report it.
  • Limit personal information online. Avoid tagging locations or sharing identifying details.
  • Keep a record of inappropriate interactions. Screenshots, dates, and messages can help build a case if needed.
  • Report serious threats to the Police or University authorities immediately.
  • Update your security settings and do not share passwords with unauthorised people.
If you're affected by harmful behaviour online, speak to your Divisional Manager or Volunteer Coordinator for support.

Informed Consent for Filming People

Under UMSU’s Privacy Policy (and in line with Australian law) any person featured in your photos or videos must provide consent. 

Here’s some ways you can manage it:
  • Display signage at events informing attendees that photography is taking place. Include the account where it will be posted on social media if applicable. 
  • Take down images if requested, even if consent was previously given.
  • You can use a digital form (typeform or microsoft form) or a printed form to get consent from individuals. You can see an example by University of Queensland here: https://marketing-communication.uq.edu.au/asset/photography-and-video-consent-form
A-frames to display notice of filming are available to make this process smoother at events. Include this in your ticket to cme-support@union.unimelb.edu.au when planning an event. 

Use of Content/Trigger Warnings

If your content references sensitive or distressing topics, a trigger or content warning is mandatory. This is part of UMSU’s commitment to creating inclusive and trauma-aware spaces.

How to write a warning:
  1. Begin with "CW //" "TW //" "Content Warning:" or "Trigger Warning:"
  2. Clearly state the topic, e.g., "TW // sexual violence"
  3. Include an opportunity for people choose to exit out or stop viewing your content after reading the warning. Here are some methods to implement this:
    In social media captions: add a line break and use full stops to push the content below the "read more" fold.
    In social media carousels: include the trigger warning on the image/slide before the triggering content begins to be discussed.
    In video content: present the trigger warning in plain text for at least 3 seconds before the triggering content begins to be discussed. 
Common triggers include violence, sexual assault, mental illness, suicide, child abuse, discrimination, body image, and phobias (e.g., trypophobia). 

Include helplines and mental health services at the start and end of your posts when discussing distressing topics. 

Stock Image Use and Licensing

Not all images on the internet are free to use. Using unlicensed content can lead to legal issues — and individual students may be held responsible.

UMSU has access to Getty Images. Find the image you need here and share the link with the Comms team to obtain access.

Alternatively, there are additional free image services online. For stock photos, we recommend Unsplash, Burst, Pexels, Pixabay, and public domain archives such as the State Library of Victoria, RawPixel, Picryl or the National Gallery of Art.


If you're looking for icons and graphics, we recommend Noun Project and FontAwesome.

Always check the licence and never use copyrighted content without permission.