Social Media

The term ‘social media’ is defined as a website or application that enables users to create and share content or to take part in social networking e.g.

• Facebook
• X (formerly known as Twitter)
• TikTok
• LinkedIn
• Bluesky
• Instagram
• Threads
• YouTube

The Standards apply to the University’s use of all social media. These include:

• corporate accounts
• departmental accounts
• individual staff accounts if they are operating on behalf of or in the name of the University.

For individual social media accounts, not connected solely with their work, the individual’s preferred language can be used.

To ensure that the Welsh language will not be treated less favourably than the English language in the context of social media, you can:

• have separate social media accounts, one for each language, which are updated at the same time and have the same content,
• have a bilingual account where Welsh and English posts are updated simultaneously.
• have one account which produces the same amount of content in Welsh and in English, but that the content is not necessarily always a direct translation.

 The above also applies to content which is a permanent feature of the account e.g.

• biographical text (‘bio) on X or Instagram etc
• text about the account in the ‘Information’ section of Facebook

and also to temporary material where messages disappear after a specified amount of time e.g.

• Instagram Story
• Facebook Story

If separate Welsh and English accounts are operated: 

• It should be made clear on the English account that a corresponding account exists in Welsh (e.g. by providing a direct link to the Welsh account from the corresponding English account).

• As good practice, the English account should promote and raise awareness of the Welsh account from time to time e.g. by re-posting a Welsh post with a comment.

If there is a link from a social media account to another resource e.g. a document or website, you should:

• check whether there is a Welsh version of that resource, and if there is a Welsh version you should:
• provide a link to the Welsh language version from the Welsh language account

If there is no Welsh version available and the resource was produced by the University you should check whether the resource should normally be available in Welsh according to the Standards. Please contact the Centre for Welsh Language Services for advice wlcstaff@aber.ac.uk

If the account provides a video and/or sound clip, they should be available in Welsh if they:

• are advertising University services
• give publicity to the University

In an AU video which includes a voiceover, there should be a voiceover on the Welsh version rather than subtitles.

If the clips are provided by an external body i.e., they are nothing to do with the University, you should check whether Welsh versions are available and use those when available.

It is not necessary to translate posts by other people on their accounts.

Such messages may include information submitted:

• in chat rooms
• in a feedback section, or
• in a discussion forum.

If an account retweets on X (Twitter) or shares information from other people on Facebook, and the original message is in English, it is not necessary to translate this to Welsh. If the post is available in Welsh (e.g. by a Welsh organisation such as the Welsh Government) you should also share the Welsh version. To ensure that separate English/Welsh accounts post similar content, you should share the external (English) post on the Welsh version but also include a short message in Welsh (i.e. a ‘quote’ rather than just retweeting).

The Welsh Language Standards that relate to correspondence also apply to correspondence received via social media. Therefore, you should:

• answer in Welsh to correspondence received in Welsh (if a reply is required)
• make it clear that people are welcome to correspond with the University in Welsh.