Social Media Monitoring

The request was successful.

Dear Ulster University,

Please find below my FOI request regarding the monitoring of students' private social media accounts:

1. Does your school/institution actively search through students' private social media accounts to:
a) Look for negative comments (i.e. against other students or staff members)
b) Gauge your institution's standards (i.e. the type of feedback your institution receives)
c) Safeguard students' well-being (i.e. to try and spot the early signs of suicidal thoughts)
[Please indicate which of the above you do/don't do.]

2. Does your school/institution employ any kind of software that helps you search through students' private social media accounts for certain comments or images?

3. Does your school/institution have a policy in place which allows for the monitoring of students' private social media accounts?

4. Is your school/institution looking to employ software and/or policies that will enable you to monitor students' private social media accounts in the future?

5. If the answer is "yes" for question 4, what reason is given for this?

Yours faithfully,

Rebecca Moody

foi, Ulster University

Thank you for your email.

We acknowledge receipt of your enquiry and shall contact you further in
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foi, Ulster University

Dear Ms Moody

 

We acknowledge receipt of your recent request under the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 (ref FOIA/20/29).  Your request is
receiving attention and we hope to have a response to you no later than 06
March 2020

 

Regards

 

Azlina Cohen

 

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foi, Ulster University

1 Attachment

Dear Ms Moody

 

Further to your FOI request please be advised that Ulster University does
not actively search through students' private social media accounts for
the purposes detailed in your FOI request. 

 

If you are unhappy with how the University has dealt with your request you
may raise the matter under the University's internal review process for
FOI requests. Please submit written details of your appeal to Mr Eamon
Mullan, University Secretary, Room J312, University of Ulster, Coleraine
BT52 1SA, email at [1][email address]. The University will normally
undertake to issue a decision on an appeal within 20 working days of
receipt.

 

If you do not wish to submit an appeal to the University in relation to
your request or if you are unhappy with the outcome of an appeal you may
apply to the Office of the Information Commissioner. Full particulars of
the FOI Act including the Information Commissioner's address may be found
at [2]www.ico.org.uk

 

Yours sincerely

 

Elinor Byrden

Office of the University Secretary

 

 

[3]UU_Corp_logo_Process_email

 

Elinor Byrden

Policy Co-ordinator

Office of the University Secretary

 

Ulster University  l  Cromore Road  l  Coleraine  l  BT52  1SA

T: +44 (0)28 7012 3354

E: [email address]

 

 

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