[Passed 9:0 , Royal Assent: 1st Jun 2019]
AN ACT to ensure that official communications are able to be seen by all Kingdom citizens, to regulate the blocking of Kingdom citizens on Facebook, and for other purposes
BE IT ENACTED by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords and Burgesses in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
1. SHORT TITLE
This bill may be cited for all purposes as “Official Communications Transparency Act 2019″
2. CITIZENS WHO BLOCK OTHER CITIZENS FROM FACEBOOK SHALL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO ENSURE OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS ARE TRANSMITTED
A. In the event a citizen of the Kingdom of Scone shall block another citizen from Facebook, that citizen shall designate another person to repost any substantive communications made in the groups outlined in Section 2.D below to ensure that citizen is aware of the communication.
B. “Block” shall mean the total blocking of a person’s profile on Facebook. Nothing in this bill shall apply to any citizen who blocks another person on Facebook on messenger only so that the citizen may still see the individual’s posts in Sconnish Facebook Groups but cannot send private messages to that individual.
C. “Substantive communications” shall apply to any posts made in a debate thread in Parliament, any bills, resolutions, motions, amendments, or any other formal action on the floor of Parliament, to any votes made in Parliament, to the publication of any official orders and proclamations, and for Affirmations of Loyalty.
D. The groups where this policy applies are The Sconnish Parliament Group and the Tartannac Gazette.
E. It is the responsibility of the individual who initiated the block as outlined in Section 2.B above to ensure compliance with this legislation and that any re-posts of material are made promptly.
F. Any responsibility to comply with this legislation shall end if the citizen later unblocks that individual, or if that individual ceases to become a citizen of the Kingdom of Scone.
G. Nothing in this bill shall be interpreted as prohibiting citizens from unfriending each other on Facebook.
H. In the event a citizen blocks any other citizen who provides services to the Kingdom, the citizen who initiates the block understands that they may not be entitled to receive the services from that other citizen which they would normally be entitled to while they have that individual blocked.
3. INDIVIDUALS RESTRICTED FROM BLOCKING CITIZENS
A. The Sovereign, the Prime Minister, the Master of the Rolls, the Lord Chancellor, and the Home Secretary are forbidden from blocking a citizen on Facebook as defined in Section 2.B above.
B. The restriction outlined in Section 3.A above may only be lifted by the Sconnish Judiciary. In such a proceeding, the petitioner must show good cause that the only recourse available to them and that the reason for the block is serious enough to outweigh the prejudice to the respondent not being able to see any of the petitioner’s Facebook posts.
C. In the event the Sconnish Judiciary shall grant an exception for an individual who is normally restricted by Section 3.A above, that individual shall be responsible for following the procedures outlined in Section 2.
D. The Chief Judge of the Court of Common Plea or their designee may, at their discretion, grant a moving party seeking the relief outlined in Section 3.B above temporary permission to block an individual pending the outcome of the case. If such permission is granted, that individual shall be responsible for following the procedures outlined in Section 2.
4. COMMENCEMENT
This legislation and all the provisions therein shall come into force upon receiving the Royal Assent.