The building awareness and consensus that online social networking platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter are not so much a means for users to freely engage with family, friends, neighbours and, indeed, anyone else but more so data-mining resources for large corporations and thought manipulation should give pause to local governments thinking of or currently using the platforms to engage their constituents.

The role of government is to coordinate resources, mobilize to achieve common interests and goals and otherwise provide for the collective good of constituents. Not listed among its responsibilities and obligations is offering up its citizenry as fodder for online marketing efforts.

In other words, government should do no harm.

Fortunately, there are other options available for local governments to construct online social networking resources that allow for dissemination of information and discussion among constituents in a user-friendly secure environment.