Examining Social Media Use by Immigration Agencies in Canada

The use of social media1 has become an important part of government communication strategies and practices. Governments now choose to be present on social media platforms and interact with the public. However, many government agencies view social media as a new, cheaper way to distribute information to a variety of audiences and are not actually interested in engaging with the public. Research to date, on the other hand, emphasizes that the use of social media by government should involve two-way interaction with the public, and calls for ensuring that public input is reflected in policy-making and public service delivery. This paper argues that there are important privacy and quality considerations that need to be taken into account in government use of social media in Canada. It also explores perspectives of Canadian public servants and social media users on what constitutes the effective use of social media and its integral components -- quality and privacy.