Background & Justification

On August 8, 2025, @CityOfOntarioHR posted on Instagram (link to post), the caption accompanying the post read:

On National CAD Day, we had the pleasure of getting an inside look at how this software is used to make impactful improvements to the City on a daily basis. What is CAD, you might ask?

CAD, or Computer Aided Design, is a computer based software that allows our Engineers to create 2D and 3D models of structures and designs, that eventually become new drain lines, sidewalks, and pipe installations, as seen in the video.

Shout out to CAD, and to our amazing Engineers for giving us a quick-look into their daily operations!
#cad #engineering #computer #software #womeninengineering #community #improvement #accessibility #ontario #careers

Evidence shows that another user was able to tag the official account, while AuditorNeumann was blocked from tagging or mentioning it. Even more concerning, replies made by AuditorNeumann to @CityOfOntarioHR’s posts are hidden from public view.

“The City is not only restricting tagging, but is also effectively suppressing lawful comments on taxpayer-funded official City communications.”

Suppressing lawful comments and preventing tagging on official government social media accounts has serious implications:

• It prevents meaningful public engagement on government communications.
• It creates the false impression of consensus or silence, when dissenting voices are being hidden.
• It chills protected speech by discouraging participation if comments will be suppressed.
• It undermines public trust by using taxpayer resources to promote only selective, viewpoint-approved narratives.

Under Lindke v. Freed (2024), when a government account is used to communicate official business, restrictions on participation must comply with constitutional protections. The suppression of replies, in addition to blocking tagging, raises substantial First Amendment concerns.

Requested Materials

The request covers the following platforms: Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), Threads, LinkedIn, YouTube, Bluesky, Truth Social, and TikTok.

For each platform, five categories of records are sought:

1. Account Ownership & Administration – proof of official ownership and operation by the City of Ontario.
2. User Restrictions – records of blocked, muted, or restricted users.
3. Internal Justifications & Policies – communications and policies explaining moderation decisions.
4. Financial Records – Content Creation – invoices, contracts, or budgets showing taxpayer dollars spent.
5. Moderation & Analytics Reports – logs and reports documenting moderation activity.

The PRR PDF document provides platform-specific compliance tables that break down each category into tailored sub-requests. The City is expected to respond by providing either (a) the PRA document number or file name for each responsive record, or (b) a written explanation citing the CPRA exemption relied upon to withhold the record.

Exhibits – Evidence of Restrictions

See the PDF file for the exhibits

• Exhibit 1: City of Ontario HR Instagram Post (Violation_Support_01_CityOfOntarioHR_Post.png) – Screenshot of the @CityOfOntarioHR Instagram reel posted on August 8, 2025, promoting CAD/engineering functions. Demonstrates the account is used for official communications.
• Exhibit 2: Another User Able to Tag City Account (Violation_Support_02_MandoSix_Can_Mention_But_AuditorNeumann_Cannot_Mention_CityOfOntarioHR.png) – Screenshot showing another user successfully tagging the account, proving tagging is allowed for some users.
• Exhibit 3: AuditorNeumann Unable to Tag City Account (Violation_Support_03_AuditorNeumann_Cannot_Mention_CityOfOntarioHR.PNG) – Screenshot showing the error “Can’t @mention cityofontariohr” when attempting to tag the account. Demonstrates selective restriction.
• Exhibit 4: AuditorNeumann’s Comments Not Publicly Visible (Violation_Support_04_AuditorNeumann_Comments_Are_Not_Public.jpg) – Screenshot showing comments made by AuditorNeumann are hidden from third-party viewers. Demonstrates suppression of lawful public comments.

Tags

#OntarioCA #PRR #R006188-081725 #CityofOntario #SocialMedia_FirstAmendment