Social Media Compliance: How to Keep Your Brand Compliant

Social media gives brands amazing ways to connect with people. With marketers spending nearly $277 billion in 2025 on social media ads, these platforms represent massive business opportunities. However, using these platforms comes with rules you must follow. Breaking these rules can cost your business money and hurt your reputation.

Social media compliance means following all laws and rules when you post content online. These rules protect your customers and your business from legal problems.

This guide will help you understand what social media compliance means. Additionally, you’ll learn about the risks to watch for and how to keep your brand safe online.

What is social media compliance?

Social media compliance is the practice of following all laws, rules, and guidelines when using social media platforms for business. Think of it as a safety system that protects your brand from costly mistakes.

These rules come from different places:

• Government agencies like the FTC and SEC
• Industry groups like FINRA for finance companies
• Privacy laws like HIPAA for healthcare
• Platform rules from Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Failing to meet social media compliance guidelines can result in major problems like reputation damage, steep fines, and legal action. But when done right, compliance helps you use social media safely while building trust with your audience.

Why is social media compliance important?

The Morgan Stanley WhatsApp case shows what can happen when things go wrong—casual employee chats on unapproved channels resulted in $200 million in penalties. Similarly, Meta also faced a $1.3 billion fine for mishandling user information.

People spend an average of 2 hours 21 minutes on social media each day. This makes social platforms powerful tools for reaching customers. Unfortunately, it also means mistakes can spread quickly and reach millions of people.

Fortunately, social media compliance protects your business in several ways:

• Legal protection: Following rules prevents fines and lawsuits. Non-compliance can result in steep fines and legal action.
• Brand trust: When customers see you take compliance seriously, they trust you with their information. This builds stronger relationships and customer loyalty.
• Risk management: Compliance helps identify potential issues, like problems with advertising standards or data protection laws, before they get worse.
• Business continuity: Staying compliant means you can keep using social media to grow your business without interruptions.

Social media compliance risks to be aware of

Understanding the main risks helps you avoid problems before they happen. Below are the key areas where businesses often face compliance issues.

Data privacy

Social media platforms collect lots of personal information from users. When you use this data for marketing, you must follow privacy laws.

For example, this becomes a problem when businesses collect email addresses without permission, use customer data for ads without consent, or fail to protect personal information from hackers. To avoid these issues, always get clear permission before collecting data and tell people exactly how you’ll use their information.

Furthermore, use secure systems to store and protect customer data. Key data protection laws include the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Learn more about social media privacy laws that affect your business.

Regulatory compliance

Different industries have specific rules about what you can say on social media. For instance, finance companies, healthcare providers, and government agencies face strict guidelines.

Typically, problems arise when a financial advisor posts investment advice without proper disclaimers, or when healthcare workers share patient information without permission. To stay compliant, learn your industry’s specific rules and work with your legal team to create clear guidelines.

Most importantly, always review content before posting. For healthcare organizations, consider using privacy-first social media marketing strategies.

Copyright and intellectual property

Using someone else’s content without permission can lead to legal trouble. This includes photos, videos, music, and written content.

Common violations include sharing a photographer’s image without credit, using copyrighted music in videos, or copying another brand’s posts word-for-word. Only use content you own or have permission to use.

Give proper credit when sharing others’ work. Consider creating original content or using royalty-free materials. When in doubt, ask for permission first.

Misinformation

Sharing false or misleading information can damage your reputation and break platform rules. It can also violate truth-in-advertising laws.

This happens when brands make health claims without scientific proof, share fake news stories, or post misleading statistics about their products. Fact-check all information before sharing and use reliable sources for statistics and claims.

Be careful when sharing content from other accounts. Have a process to quickly correct mistakes.

Advertising regulations

In the United States, organizations like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulate social media posts. You must follow truth-in-advertising rules and disclose sponsored content.

Violations occur when brands fail to mark sponsored posts as ads, make exaggerated claims about products, or hide important information in hard-to-find places. Clearly mark all sponsored content as ads and make sure all claims about your products are true and can be proven.

Put important information where people can easily see it. Follow FTC guidelines for endorsements and testimonials. Note that violations can result in fines of up to $53,088 per incident as of 2025.

Employee social media use

Your employees’ social media posts can create compliance risks for your company. This includes both personal and work-related posts.

Issues arise when employees post company information they shouldn’t share, make negative comments about competitors, or share confidential customer information. Create clear social media policies for employees and train your team on what they can and can’t share.

Monitor company-related posts. Consider using social media approval processes to review content before it goes live. For automated interactions, ensure you follow DM automation compliance guidelines.

User-generated content collection

When customers share content about your brand, you need permission before using it in your marketing. Using someone’s content without permission can violate their rights.

Common problems include sharing customer photos without asking, using reviews in ads without permission, or reposting customer videos on your business accounts. Using user-generated content without permission can lead to copyright problems or violation of privacy laws.

Always ask for permission before sharing customer content. Create clear terms for contests and campaigns. Give credit when sharing customer posts.

Social media compliance regulations by industry

Different industries face unique compliance challenges. Here’s what you need to know for the most regulated sectors.

Healthcare

Healthcare organizations must protect patient privacy while using social media. Most importantly, social media content must never include Protected Health Information (PHI).

Real documented violations show the consequences. The HHS Office for Civil Rights fined Elite Dental Associates $10,000 in 2019 for disclosing patients’ protected health information in responses to Yelp reviews. 

Similarly, Cadia Healthcare Facilities disclosed PHI of 150 patients through “success story” posts on their website without proper authorization, resulting in OCR investigation and settlement.

More recently, in 2022, HHS fined another dental practice $50,000 for inappropriately using social media to respond to patient reviews by disclosing protected health information.

To maintain compliance, never share patient information without written permission. Additionally, train all staff on HIPAA rules for social media. Use only general health information in posts and create social media policies that either prohibit posting patient information or outline proper procedures for sharing patient information in compliance with HIPAA.

Financial services

Financial companies face strict rules about what they can say on social media. FINRA’s rules protect investors from false, misleading claims, exaggerated statements, and material omissions.

FINRA’s official enforcement actions show real penalties. In 2024, M1 Finance paid $850,000 for social media posts made by influencers that were not fair or balanced and contained exaggerated or misleading claims. The posts promoted margin lending without disclosing important risks and limitations.

This marked FINRA’s first formal disciplinary action involving a firm’s supervision of social media influencers. FINRA found that M1 Finance failed to review or approve influencer content and didn’t retain records as required.

Firms must retain records of communications related to their business for at least three years. All content must be pre-approved by compliance officers. Avoid making promises about investment returns and include proper risk disclosures in all posts.

Government

Government agencies must balance transparency with security when using social media. They also face unique rules about political activities and public records.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and other public records laws ensure public access to government records, including social media posts. 

According to CivicPlus research, 92% of public sector agencies use social media for citizen engagement. However, their 2021 study shows concern with compliance grew 16.4% year-over-year, with agencies citing records laws as their second biggest challenge.

The Hatch Act restricts political activities of government employees. All social media posts become public records that citizens can request through FOIA.

All social media content becomes public record. Train employees on political activity restrictions. Don’t block followers, even difficult ones and keep personal and professional accounts separate. Use social media crisis management plans for emergency communications.

Social media compliance best practices

Following these practices will help keep your brand safe while using social media effectively.

Learn the laws and regulations relevant to your industry

The first step is understanding which rules apply to your business. Every industry has different requirements.

To begin, start by identifying the regulatory bodies that oversee your industry. For financial services, that’s FINRA and the SEC. For healthcare, it’s HIPAA and the FTC. For general advertising, focus on FTC guidelines.

Next, work with your legal team to understand these rules. Stay updated on changes by following regulatory announcements. Consider joining industry groups that share compliance updates.

Don’t try to handle this alone. Compliance is complex and changes often. Having expert help protects your business and saves time.

Create a social media policy for your team

A clear social media policy tells everyone what they can and can’t do online. This protects your business and helps employees avoid mistakes.

Your policy should cover:

• What employees can post about work
• How to handle customer complaints online
• Rules for sharing company information
• Guidelines for personal social media use
• What to do if something goes wrong

Make sure everyone reads and signs the policy. Update it regularly as rules change. Train new employees on social media guidelines during onboarding.

Vista Social helps you implement brand policies across your team. Our platform lets you create content approval workflows and ensure all posts meet your standards before they go live.

Use the right disclosures

When you promote products or work with influencers, you must tell people about these relationships. This builds trust and follows the law.

The FTC requires clear disclosure of paid partnerships. Use simple language like “Ad,” “Sponsored,” or “Paid partnership with [Brand Name].” Put disclosures where people can easily see them.

For healthcare and finance companies, you may need additional disclosures about risks or limitations. Work with your legal team to create standard disclosure language.

Don’t hide disclosures in hashtags or fine print. People should immediately understand when content is sponsored or when you have a business relationship with someone you’re promoting.

Train your team

Regular training helps your team stay current on compliance rules and best practices. Everyone who posts for your company needs to understand the basics.

Cover these topics in your training:

• Your industry’s specific compliance rules
• Platform policies and guidelines
• How to handle customer complaints
• When to escalate issues to management
• Examples of compliant and non-compliant posts

Make training ongoing, not just a one-time event. Rules change, new platforms emerge, and teams grow. Regular refreshers keep everyone sharp.

Consider bringing in outside experts for specialized training. HIPAA compliance training for healthcare teams or FINRA training for financial advisors can provide deep expertise your team needs.

Employ secure social media management software

The right social media management platform can make compliance much easier. Instead of juggling multiple tools and manual processes, you need a comprehensive solution built for regulated industries.

Vista Social provides comprehensive compliance features designed specifically for regulated industries:

Content approval workflows

Vista Social’s approval system lets you create review processes for your compliance needs. Set up content review where posts must pass through legal review, then compliance officers, then senior management before publishing.

To set this up, go to Settings > Publishing Settings > Approval Workflows. Then click on + Add approval workflow.

You should be able to create your own workflow in this window.

User permissions and access controls

Vista Social’s user system gives you control over who can access accounts and perform actions. Create role-based permissions that match your compliance requirements.

Junior staff might only draft posts for approval. Senior managers can publish directly to certain accounts. You can also set management to be able to monitor all activity without being able to post content themselves.

Content calendar for compliance review

Vista Social’s shared content calendar allows users to review planned content weeks in advance. Other teams and clients that are not on Vista Social are even able to take a look and spot potential issues before content goes live.

Click this icon on the top right corner of your dashboard and click on Share. A window will open letting you know if you’ve previously created any shared links. Or you can click Create to grab a link to share with your team or clients.

Profile groups for multi-account management

Vista Social’s profile groups let you organize accounts by compliance requirements. Healthcare organizations can group patient-facing accounts separately from employee accounts. Each group can have different approval workflows and user permissions.

Create your social media compliance strategy today

Social media compliance doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Start with these steps:

1. Audit your current social media presence: Review existing posts for potential compliance issues. Check that all accounts follow current guidelines.
2. Create or update your social media policy: Work with legal and HR teams to establish clear rules for everyone.
3. Implement approval workflows: Set up processes to review content before it goes live. This prevents problems before they happen.
4. Train your team: Make sure everyone understands the rules and knows how to follow them.
5. Monitor and adjust: Regularly review your compliance efforts and update them as rules change.

The key is starting now rather than waiting for problems to arise. Implementing these practices protects your brand and lets you use social media confidently.

Vista Social makes compliance easier with built-in approval workflows, security features, and team management tools. Our platform helps you create content that follows all relevant rules while engaging your audience effectively.

Ready to build a compliant social media strategy? Vista Social Enterprise helps you manage compliance while creating engaging content that protects your brand and drives results. Learn more about our brand safety practices and how we can help protect your business online.

Social media compliance FAQs

What are the main industries that need to be concerned with social media compliance?

Healthcare, financial services, government agencies, education, and pharmaceuticals face the strictest social media compliance requirements. However, all businesses need to follow basic advertising and privacy rules regardless of industry.

Companies in regulated industries must follow specific guidelines from agencies like FINRA, the SEC, and HIPAA. But even general businesses must comply with FTC advertising rules and platform policies.

The level of compliance required depends on your industry and business model. Working with legal experts helps you understand exactly which rules apply to your situation.

What does social media compliance mean for financial institutions?

Financial institutions must follow FINRA rules when using social media. This means all content must be fair, balanced, and complete without leaving out important information.

They cannot make false or misleading statements about investments. Content must avoid predictions about investment performance unless they meet specific exceptions. All communications must be supervised and recorded for at least three years.

Financial firms also need pre-approval processes for static content like posts and videos. Interactive communications like comments must be monitored in real-time. Consider reading about the ethics of social media marketing for additional guidance.

What are the FINRA rules for social media compliance?

FINRA Rule 2210 covers social media communications for broker-dealers. Key requirements include:

• Fair and balanced communications: Content must present complete information without misleading statements or omissions.
• Supervision and approval: Firms must supervise social media communications and may require pre-approval for certain content.
• Record keeping: All business-related social media communications must be retained for at least three years.
• Disclosure requirements: Firms must clearly identify testimonials and paid content. Risk disclosures must be prominent and easy to understand.
• Training requirements: Firms must educate employees about the difference between personal and business use of social media.

Violations can result in fines ranging from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity and scope of the violation.