Overview
ISO 22329:2021 - Security and resilience - Emergency management - Guidelines for the use of social media in emergencies - provides practical guidance on integrating social media into emergency management and crisis communication. It covers use of social media before, during and after incidents, how it can support emergency services, and how organizations and the public can interact through social channels. The standard is applicable to governmental and non‑governmental organizations involved in emergency management and crisis communication.
Key topics and requirements
- Understanding social media: roles, platform types, privacy and platform governance; connection between social media and traditional media. (See Annex A for platform/channel types.)
- Planning: policies, risk considerations, social media objectives and strategy, resource and tool selection. Emphasis on aligning social media with overall communications and crisis communication strategies.
- Implementation: staged approach - monitoring, dissemination, then interaction with users. Guidance on tool selection, supplementing internal resources, and staff capability.
- Monitoring: identify platforms used by audiences, track topics/hashtags, set geographic span, and identify influential users. Validate information quality before use (see Annex B on quality assessment and verification).
- Dissemination and interaction: guidance on specifying content, timely messaging and building trust through engagement with citizens and stakeholders.
- Citizens’ guidance: helping the public use social media responsibly during incidents (Annex D).
- Review and improvement: regular review and continual improvement of social media practices as part of emergency management processes.
- Terminology: aligns with ISO 22300 vocabulary (e.g., “social media”, “inaccurate information”, “purposefully misleading information”).
Practical applications and users
Who uses ISO 22329:2021:
- Public information officers and emergency communication teams
- Local, regional and national emergency management authorities
- Non‑governmental organizations and first responders
- Crisis communication consultants and policy makers
- Organizations developing social media policies and monitoring programs
Practical uses:
- Designing a social media strategy for preparedness and response.
- Setting up monitoring systems to enhance situational awareness and detect misinformation/disinformation.
- Drafting templates and policies for rapid, accurate dissemination during incidents.
- Training staff on engagement, verification and continual improvement practices.
Related standards
- ISO 22300 - Security and resilience: vocabulary (referenced for terms and definitions).
- Developed by ISO/TC 292 (Security and resilience); consult national standards bodies for implementation advice.
Keywords: ISO 22329:2021, social media in emergencies, emergency management, crisis communication, monitoring, dissemination, interaction, situational awareness, misinformation, disinformation.
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