Chatting with Public Officials

A White House official this month has been taking heat for doing something many of us do almost reflexively on a daily basis - chatter with friends, coworkers and bosses online. Andrew McLaughlin, the White House deputy chief technology officer for Internet policy, reportedly used Web-based e-mail to communicate with administration colleagues and lobbyists at Google, his former employer. According to images posted on the Internet, a list of his contacts showed he used his Gmail account to converse with Aneesh Chopra, the White House chief technology officer, and Katie Stanton, another Google veteran who now works at the State Department.

The difference between McLaughlin and those of us who aren't public officials is that our chatter doesn't typically count as a government record. Our Tweets, text messages and other digital gabbing on commercial apps aren't considered "evidentiary material" -- the definition of a government record. We don't have to concern ourselves with esoteric records disposition schedules or backup tapes for the National Archives.

Yes, White House officials are supposed to be up to speed with basic records management etiquette. Yet, it's hard to keep up with the rules when the technologies are outpacing policies. This month, McLaughlin came under fire for conversing with influential current and former colleagues through Gmail. Next month, a new government-approved commercial app, like FaceBook, could ensnare another official who does not carefully adhere to federal use and retention policies.

Now, if White House officials are intentionally communicating on commercial Web apps to avoid documenting their conversations - that's a problem. Social media can be an asset for the administration by increasing productivity governmentwide and increasing public interaction nationwide. But it can also be a detriment to society when used inappropriately - say while driving or negotiating broadband policy.