What is WARC and Why is it Important for Regulatory Compliance?

If you’re trying to archive your website, whether for litigation readiness, corporate heritage, or you are just trying to make sure your website is compliant with your industry’s regulatory requirements, you will likely encounter a little ol’ file type called WARC (Web ARChive).

The public information landscape has changed incredibly over the last few years. Whether simply engaging with constituents on a day-to-day basis or planning for an emergency, social media forms an important part of just about every communication strategy.

When it comes to social media and website archiving solutions for government organizations, pricing models can be rather nebulous. This is not an accident. Many archiving vendors use a strategy of charging a low fee for a small number of records, so initial prices seem very reasonable, but as soon as social media channels gain traction and see success, the organization suddenly finds itself being charged a lot more because of all the records created.

While there has been a lot of news centered around social media and privacy lately, there’s no denying that platforms like Facebook and Twitter continue to be incredibly useful tools for governments interested in having meaningful conversations with citizens. Used correctly, social media can increase engagement and provide a forum for dialogue that’s hard to find anywhere else.

The United States’ Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act was signed into law on January 14, 2019. This landmark piece of legislation means that government departments and agencies must comply with a new set of rules that facilitate open access to information.

Ensuring that federal agencies comply with The Federal Records Act, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) acts as the nation’s record-keeper to ensure official federal records are preserved for increased public access.

Social Media as Federal Records Social media is heavily relied on by citizens and businesses for a wealth of information - from service updates, to employment information and changes in the law. It also benefits governments by helping them improve their service through a direct communication channel, making it possible to converse and discuss policies. With this heavy usage and two-way benefit, social media communications are considered official government publications to which the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) applies - a law that ensues government transparency and fair public access to records of interest.

PageFreezer has released a new solution enabling government agencies to provide public access to their web and social media archives. Historic government website and social media data can now be made easily accessible through a public portal with powerful search capabilities.

As federal, state, and local government websites and social media are heavily relied on by citizens and businesses for a wealth of information, these communications are considered official government publications to which the Freedom of Information act (FOIA) and Open Records Laws apply. Demanding transparency, complying with these laws can cost governments thousands a year, at an average of $678 per information request (1).

Do you trust your government? The heart of democracy, "by the people, for the people", requires that government be accountable to it citizens. And, if there is no trust there, how can democracy flourish?