If an employee engages in overt online activity, is authorization required?

• A. Authorization Required by Supervisor
• B. No Authorization Required
• C. Mandatory Training Required
• D. Requires Memo to Major

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that routine, compliant online activity by an employee does not need prior authorization. When online engagement is public and stays within policy—no sharing of confidential information, no official statements without approval, and no actions that create risk to the department—there’s no requirement to obtain authorization in advance. Authorization is generally reserved for actions that could affect the department’s policy, security, or reputation, or involve sensitive information. If the activity could impact the agency or violate policy, then escalation would be appropriate.