IDVA Web & Social Media Policy

This is a State of Iowa official website

General

IDVA adheres to all State of Iowa web page compliance. 

For-profit advertising for products and services is not allowed on government websites.

We will share links to websites of veteran associated non-profit organizations with whom the IDVA, federal or county governments have an established relationship with. This includes events and fundraising efforts on social media.

On rare occasions, such as state or nation-wide veteran meal discounts on Veterans and Memorial Days, we will share offerings via USDVA pages and our own social media in an unbiased manner. 

We can include corporate partners who sponsor veteran-affiliated events, for engagement about that specific event, especially where their name is included in the title (e.g. Hy-Vee Spirit of Iowa Tribute Bell Tour and Veterans Breakfasts). 

Social Media

Social media sites allow the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) to share news and information regarding IDVA activities and programs.  The public comments and opinions expressed by users of Iowa IDVA social media sites are theirs alone and do not reflect the opinions of IDVA.

By using or accessing this social media site you agree to all of the following terms:

Comment Posting Rules

IDVA reserves the right to remove any posted comment that is in violation of this policy or is in violation of any state or federal law. IDVA does not guarantee a response to any posted comment.

IDVA will, upon discovery, remove any comments that contain any of the following:

• Content that is profane, threatening, harassing, bullying or vulgar;
• Content that depicts or describes graphic violence;
• Content that promotes, fosters or perpetuates discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, employment position, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation;
• Sexual content or links to sexual content;
• Content containing deliberate misinformation or disinformation;
• Content potentially inciting a hostile work environment for employees
• Comments that promote or advertise a business or contain solicitations of commerce;
• Content wrongfully disrupting IDVA operations, including employee and client rights to their sense of peace and security;
• Content intentionally seeking to incite discord and disharmony among employees and clients, especially of a personal nature (see ‘harassing’ above);
• Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;
• Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems;
• Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party;
• Comments in support of or opposition to any person campaigning for election to political office;
• Malicious code that contains a virus, worm, defect, Trojan horse or any other similar item of a destructive nature that may interfere or disrupt IDVA services, servers, computer systems, networks, servers, systems, etc.
• Personally identifiable information (name, photo, social security number, driver license number, date of birth, address, phone number or any other information or combination of information that uniquely identifies a specific individual); photos and names may be used with permission of the individuals depicted;
• Content concerning past, present or on-going individual personnel employment status, investigations or other legal matters protected by the Privacy Act.

IDVA reserves the right to block or restrict the access of any user to this social media site upon violation of any of the above terms. In the event such a violation occurs, IDVA will attempt to notify the user of the violation and of the action taken by IDVA due to such violation. But if the violator is unreachable, unaffiliated with IDVA, avoidant, or demonstrates clear unreceptiveness to such notification, IDVA reserves the right to follow through with actions without notification.

WARNING: All content posted to this social media site is public information and is available to everyone. Do not post any personally identifiable information (name, photo, social security number, driver license number, date of birth, address, phone number or any other information or combination of information that uniquely identifies a specific individual). If you post any such content you do so entirely at your own risk.

Privacy Policy

IDVA collects and stores all content that you post on this social media site. The IDVA is required to comply with Iowa Code Chapter 22 (The Iowa Open Records Act) and all information posted on this social media site is subject to public disclosure under state and federal open records laws. For more information, please see the information located under “Public Examination, Copying, and Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Social Media Site” below.

This information may also be shared with other state agencies for governmental purposes, including improving state government services. The information is not collected for commercial marketing purposes and the IDVA does not sell or distribute the information collected from this social media site for commercial marketing purposes.

Personal Information

“Personal information” is information about a natural person that is readily identifiable to that specific individual. Personal information includes, but is not limited to, such things as an individual’s name, address and phone number. A domain name or internet protocol address is not considered personal information. It is not the intent of the IDVA to collect personal information is not through this social media site.

Public Examination, Copying, and Disclosure of Information Collected Through This Site

In accordance with the laws of the State of Iowa, the IDVA will insure that government is open and that the public has the right to access public records and information of which the IDVA is the lawful custodian. Iowa Code Chapter 22 provides that the public shall have a right to examine and copy a public record and to publish or otherwise disseminate a public record or the information contained in such record.  At the same time there are certain exceptions under the state and federal laws that may limit the public’s right to examine and copy public records or otherwise protect certain personal information. Personal and other information provided by you through this social media site may, if not protected by state or federal law, be subject to public examination, copying, publication and disclosure pursuant to applicable laws, including, without limitation, Iowa Code Chapter 22 and other applicable laws governing access to public records. 

In the event of a conflict between this privacy policy and Iowa Code Chapter 22 or other laws governing access to public records, Iowa Code Chapter 22 or such other applicable laws will control.

Questions about This Privacy Policy or IDVA’s Use Policy

Should you have any comments or questions about this privacy policy or any other part of this IDVA Social Media Sites - Terms of Use document, please submit them to the IDVA through a comment form located at on the Contact Page.

Terms of Use

When using or accessing this social media site, you shall abide by all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including, without limitation, those pertaining to copyright, trademark and other intellectual property.

You shall not post, transmit or make available in any way through this IDVA social media site any software or other materials which contain a computer virus, Trojan horse, time bomb, worm or other malicious programming (“malicious programming”). The IDVA and the State of Iowa and its agencies have no obligation to detect the presence of any malicious programming. Any downloading of software or other materials or any other use of the information on this social media site is at your risk, and you are advised to take adequate precautions (including use of anti-virus software and file backup procedures) to minimize any loss to your system caused by malicious programming. The IDVA and the State of Iowa assume no responsibility and shall not be liable for any damage to your system, computer equipment, data or other property resulting from your access to or use of this social media site or your downloading of any information from the social media site, or from any malicious programming.

Links to Other Sites

In order to provide visitors with certain information, this social media site may provide links to websites of local, state and federal government agencies, and non-governmental or private organizations. A link does not constitute the IDVA’s or the State of Iowa’s endorsement of the content, viewpoint, accuracy, opinions, policies, products, services, or accessibility of such websites. Once you link to another website from this social media site you are subject to the terms and conditions of that website, including its privacy policy. When visiting linked sites you may wish to check the privacy policies and terms of use on such websites and be cautious about providing personal information.

This social media site may include hypertext links or pointers to information created and maintained by other public and/or private organizations. The IDVA provides these links and pointers solely for our users’ information and convenience. When users select a link to an outside website, they are leaving this social media site and are subject to the privacy, security and other policies of owners/sponsors of the outside website.

The IDVA and the State of Iowa do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, reliability or completeness of information contained on a linked outside website.

The IDVA and the State of Iowa do not endorse the organizations sponsoring linked websites, and do not endorse the content or views they possess or the products/ services they offer.

The IDVA and the State of Iowa cannot authorize the use of copyrighted materials located on linked websites. Users must request such authorization from the sponsor of the linked website.

The IDVA and the State of Iowa are not responsible for transmissions users receive from linked websites. The IDVA and its employees are not responsible for any content from or on any linked website.

Use of This Site and Information

This social media site and all information on it is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. Your use of and reliance on this social media site and any information on it is at your own and sole risk. The IDVA and the State of Iowa make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or adequacy of the information on this social media site and expressly disclaim liability for any errors or omissions relating thereto.

Disclaimer Warranties

WITH RESPECT TO THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE AND ANY INFORMATION ON IT, THE IDVA AND THE STATE OF IOWA MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FOR THIS VERY PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT OR TITLE, LACK OF NEGLIGENCE, AND FREEDOM FROM COMPUTER VIRUSES OR MALICIOUS PROGRAMMING.

Limitation of Liability

THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND THE STATE OF IOWA WILL NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND (EVEN IF AGENCY AND THE STATE HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF AND TO: (1) YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OR THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE ON OR TO THEM; (2) YOUR RELIANCE ON ANY INFORMATION; OR (3) ANY OTHER MATTER RELATED TO THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OR THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS OR SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE ON OR THROUGH THEM.)  THESE LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY SHALL APPLY REGARDLESS OF ANY LEGAL OR EQUITABLE THEORY OF LIABILITY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THEORIES OF TORT, CONTRACT OR OTHERWISE.

THE IDVA, ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE STATE OF IOWA ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGE OR INJURY OF ANY KIND YOU MAY SUSTAIN ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING IN ANY WAY TO YOUR USE OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OR ANY LINKS TO OTHER SITES.  YOU AGREE TO HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFY THE IDVA, ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE STATE OF IOWA FROM ANY CLAIM OR DEMAND OF ANY KIND MADE AGAINST IDVA, ITS EMPLOYEES AND THE STATE OF IOWA BY ANY THIRD PARTY THAT ARISES OUT OF OR IS RELATED IN ANY WAY TO YOUR USE OF THIS SOCIAL MEDIA SITE OR LINKS TO OTHER SITES OR ANY CONTENT POSTED ON THEM.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms of this IDVA Social Media Sites - Terms of Use shall be governed in all respects by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Iowa, without giving effect to the choice of law principles thereof. Any and all litigation or actions commenced in connection with these terms of use (or your use of the social media site) shall be brought in Des Moines, Iowa, in Polk County District Court for the State of Iowa, if jurisdiction is proper. However, if jurisdiction is not proper in the Iowa District Court for Polk County, but is proper only in the United States District Court, the matter shall be commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Central Division. This provision shall not be construed as waiving any immunity to suit or liability, in state or federal court, which may be available to the Iowa Department of Veterans Affairs or the  State of Iowa including sovereign immunity, governmental immunity, immunity based on the Eleventh Amendment of the Constitution of the United States or otherwise.

Modification and Discontinuance

The IDVA and the State of Iowa reserve the right to, at any time modify or discontinue, temporarily or permanently, this social media site (or any portion thereof) without notice for any reason or no reason whatsoever. In addition, the IDVA and the State of Iowa reserve the right at any time to modify or remove any information without notice to you. You agree that the IDVA and the State of Iowa shall not be liable to you or any third party for any of the foregoing actions which may be taken by the agency or the state.

Waivers

Except as specifically provided for in a waiver signed by duly authorized representatives of the IDVA, failure by the IDVA at any time to require performance by you or to claim a breach of any provision of these terms of use shall not be construed as affecting any subsequent breach or the right to require performance with respect thereto, or declare a breach with respect thereto.

Modifications to this IDVA Social Media Sites Terms of Use

The IDVA or the State of Iowa may modify the terms of this IDVA Use Policy at any time without notice to you and such modifications will be binding on you when posted online. Your continued use of the social media site following any such modification constitutes your agreement to the terms of use as modified.