Obtain text message transcripts update#
Obtain text message transcripts pro#

‍ The Washington State Supreme Court determined their own definition as well, having sparked a ruling from requests made in Pierce County, that “text messages sent and received by a public employee, in the employee's official capacity, are public records of the government employer-even if the employee used a private cell phone.”

‍įor Highlands County, Florida, their defining line was that “text messages relating to public business are public records whether sent or received on a government or private cell phone.” If it relates to public business, then it is a public record. If your state doesn’t have a rule for handling texts right now, you can be sure it will in the future. Texting between government employees is not going to subside in fact, it will only grow. Some states have no policy regarding texts at all however, even if your state doesn’t explicitly address text messages, it is best to err on the side of transparency. Others simply state they are to be treated as any other form of record. While some states do not specifically address text messages in their laws, some categorize them under other forms of electronic communication. This list of public record laws across the 50 states gives a brief overview of how each state handles SMS.

Obtain text message transcripts pro#

‍‍ ‍ Pro Tip #1: Know Your Laws & Make Policies‍Įven though every state has a different policy when it comes to text messages, the general consensus is that texts are public record. If you want to be proactive about text messages as they relate to the public record, there are ways to alleviate the strain. Text messages might just be the bane of your records request workflow, but they definitely need to be dealt with.

Localities like Highlands County, Florida have gone through the process of adapting and renewing records laws, while creating new processes to manage the messages themselves.

Obtain text message transcripts update#

In fact, more governments are working to update laws to reflect the changing environment. Policies, procedures, and general knowledge regarding public records simply hasn’t caught up yet. Nowadays, it is commonplace to rely on text messaging as a mode of work communication. The truth is, when public records laws and department policies were drafted, text messages either weren’t in existence yet or they weren’t in vogue. The response from the state departments was varied, and mostly incomplete or without context if they released records at all. As a test of North Carolina’s adherence to records law, various media outlets requested texts made by state officials. Likewise, messages sent on private devices regarding public issues are still part of the public record-IF agencies are lucky enough to track them down. Getting an accurate estimate of SMS messages that are public record is problematic, as the number of government-issued phones is unknown.

As the Knoxville News Sentinel states, “Without ready help from phone carriers or a program designed to make the process efficient, state officials say that providing text messages in response to public records requests is cumbersome and time-consuming.” It is exactly what North Carolina’s agencies faced when record requests began increasing for text messages sent and received by the state’s top officials.

Regardless of your commitment to transparency, text records are simply difficult to track down, bundle together, and process. Is dealing with text records a hopeless affair, or is there a better way forward?Īgencies all across the country are having issues processing the requests for relevant text messages. Alas, the course of true love transparency never did run smooth. Text messages are the ogre in your records request fairy tale. They’re unwieldy, they’re hard to track down, and they eat up precious work hours.