
New guidelines for ministers’ social media use
Civil servants are allowed to assist ministers with social media posts related to their duties, according to updated guidelines from the Danish Ministry of Justice released on Thursday. Assistance from staff is permissible similar to help with writing articles or speeches, as long as it concerns the minister’s official work and not private matters. However, staff cannot manage ministers’ profiles, except for special advisors, who may help manage the minister’s private profile related to their advisory tasks. This assistance can include fact-checking, professional advice, or posts about the minister’s specialty or government policy. The Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman had warned of a trend where civil servants are increasingly used for the branding of ministers on their private profiles, following a case where former Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen received help with 40% of posts, resulting in over 1000 draft posts in three years.