Ohio AG, Facebook reach agreement

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray announced today that Facebook has agreed to modify its terms and conditions to allow state and local government agencies across the country to use the social media website with greater ease.

The new terms, facilitated through the National Association of Attorneys General and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, resolve a series of legal issues that were caused by the site's standard terms of service agreement.

"Social media websites such as Facebook can be invaluable tools, allowing state and local agencies to provide the latest information to their constituents and encouraging dialogue between the people and their government," Cordray said.

Facebook has modified portions of its terms of service agreement that all users must agree to in order to use the site.

As part of a multistate group led by Colorado and Washington, Ohio began working with Facebook nearly a year ago after discovering a series of issues public agencies encountered while trying to use the site. The new terms mirror a similar agreement the social media company reached with the federal government more than a year ago, which allowed 33 federal government agencies to connect with their constituents through Facebook.