Paper
Additional Resource
Massachusetts Municipal Leader Guide: Open Meeting Law in the Digital Age
As public officials increasingly turn to digital tools, this guide helps Massachusetts municipal leaders navigate Open Meeting Law and their everyday digital practice while safeguarding transparency.
By:
Issues
Highlights
- Massachusetts municipal officials can use social media to inform and engage the public, but should never use it to deliberate with a quorum of fellow board or committee members.
- Simple actions such as tagging, commenting on, or liking a colleague’s post about public business can create an Open Meeting Law violation, even if the original post was intended for the public.
- Remote and hybrid public meetings remain permitted through June 30, 2027, provided the public can follow in real time, access instructions are included in the notice, and all votes are taken by roll call.
This guide aims to help municipal leaders navigate how Massachusetts Open Meeting Law applies to their everyday digital practice, including the use of social media and hybrid meetings. It complements the Allen Lab’s policy brief on modernizing Open Meeting Law for the Digital Age, supporting compliance with the law as written. This work builds on findings from The Landscape of Digital Civic Infrastructure in Massachusetts.
To read the full guide, scroll up and click “Download the PDF” to the right of your screen.
Disclaimer: The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has jurisdiction over Open Meeting Law complaints and provides guidance concerning the Open Meeting Law to local officials. Therefore, any questions concerning the Open Meeting Law are best addressed by the Division of Open Government at the Attorney General’s Office. This document is intended to supplement guidance from the Attorney General’s Office and, through hypotheticals, provide a broad, general overview of how local officials in Massachusetts may use social media while remaining mindful of the requirements of the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law. Its purpose is educational and informational to better understand common issues and practical considerations that can arise when social media intersects with public deliberations and governmental transparency obligations.
The Landscape of Digital Civic Infrastructure in Massachusetts
Kenneth Woodland is a mid-career Master in Public Administration student and researcher at the Harvard Kennedy School. He focuses his legal practice in municipal law and is a former city councilor.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily represent the positions of the Ash Center or its affiliates.
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