Victorian government social media rules outdated, auditor-general finds

Report warns taxpayer-funded content shared without attribution, influencer deals undisclosed

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Sources4 outlets

The Victorian Auditor-General's Office has found the state's laws around government communications have failed to keep pace with the rise of social media, pointing to the use of influencers for the Metro Tunnel and the repurposing of taxpayer-funded videos on politicians' personal pages as key concerns.

Victoria's Auditor-General has found the state's laws around government communications have failed to keep pace with the increased use of social media. In a report released Tuesday, the Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO) highlighted an ongoing tension around how to separate government and political advertisements in an era when every MP has their own social media pages.

Digital channels are now the biggest advertising expenditure by the Victorian government, with about $40 million spent in 2024-25 alone, yet state communication laws have not been updated since 2017. The report found no consistent rules across departments or agencies about when influencers should disclose the involvement of the government in their content. One social media post promoting the government's activity centres program listed the Department of Transport and Planning as a co-author but did not initially disclose it was a paid arrangement.

VAGO pointed to a video produced by the Victorian Infrastructure Delivery Agency that was shared on both the Metro Tunnel and then-transport minister Gabrielle Williams' respective social media accounts. It was shared without being attributed to the original taxpayer-funded source. Now-Premier Ben Carroll posted Melbourne Airport Rail content in a similar fashion. The auditor-general warned that when agency-produced content is shared without clear government branding or strict attribution requirements, it can be repurposed for political purposes, weakening public confidence in the impartiality of government communications.

The Suburban Rail Loop Authority was found to be providing monthly social media content to its minister and local MPs, including tailored content specifically for their pages. VAGO described this as inconsistent with the apolitical requirements of the Act. The report also examined the Premier's media centre, finding that 173 of 201 media releases between March and April contained party-political language or mentioned opposition MPs.

A government spokesperson said the public service is fiercely independent and the best at what it does, adding: 'We have always followed the rules, but as technology changes, there are always ways to improve how we communicate.' Shadow Attorney-General James Newbury said the report showed the government had misused public resources and politicised the public service.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The report reveals a fundamental gap between outdated communication laws and modern digital campaigning, directly impacting how tens of millions of taxpayer dollars are spent on political branding.
The blurring of lines between impartial government information and party-political advertising risks eroding public confidence in the independence of the Victorian public service.
With the state election approaching, the findings raise transparency concerns about how the government uses public resources to boost the profile of its ministers and leader.

Background

Victoria's core communication laws were written before social media became the dominant channel for political advertising. Spending on digital ads has surged to roughly $40 million annually, but the regulatory framework has remained static since 2017. The challenge of separating government information from political promotion is not new, but the constant cycle of social media has made it more pronounced. The transition of official accounts, like the 'POTUS' handle, contrasts with the personal pages held by state leaders in Victoria.

Key Perspectives

Victorian Auditor-General's Office (VAGO): Argues that the current rules allow taxpayer-funded content to be used for political purposes without adequate transparency, weakening public confidence. It calls for consistent attribution standards and a ban on tailoring content for politicians' personal accounts. Victorian Government Spokesperson: Maintains the government has always followed the existing rules but acknowledges that technology moves faster than regulation and that there are areas for improvement. Critics and Opposition (James Newbury, Geoffrey Robinson): The Shadow Attorney-General accused the government of misusing public resources and politicising the public service. Deakin University's Geoffrey Robinson noted that government advertising has long promoted both programs and the party in power, a tension amplified by social media.

What to Watch

Whether the Victorian government commits to updating the 2017 communication laws to address social media advertising and influencer partnerships.
How government agencies reshape their social media practices in response to the specific failings identified in the audit.
Whether the opposition pursues the matter as an integrity issue leading into the state election.

Sources

How Metro Tunnel influencers and MP Instagram accounts set off the state’s watchdog · Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News
How Metro Tunnel influencers and MP Instagram accounts set off the state’s watchdog · Brisbane Times - Latest News
How Metro Tunnel influencers and MP Instagram accounts set off the state’s watchdog · WA Today - Latest News
How Metro Tunnel influencers and MP Instagram accounts set off the state’s watchdog · The Age - Latest News

Checked

10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

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SupportedThe Victorian government’s social-media rules are outdated, the auditor-general found.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office (VAGO) said the state’s laws around government communications had failed to keep pace with the increased use of social media”
SupportedThe report warns that taxpayer-funded content was shared without attribution.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “the content was shared to the politicians’ pages without it being attributed to the original taxpayer-funded sources.”
SupportedInfluencers’ paid partnerships involving government initiatives were not properly disclosed.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Social media influencers spruiking the Metro Tunnel and other state initiatives failed to properly declare paid partnerships”
SupportedThe state’s laws around government communications have failed to keep pace with increased social-media use.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “VAGO said the state’s laws around government communications had failed to keep pace with the increased use of social media”
SupportedDigital channels were the Victorian government’s biggest advertising expenditure, with about $40 million spent in 2024–25.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “digital channels are now the biggest advertising expenditure by the Victorian government – with about $40 million spent in 2024-25 alone”
SupportedA post promoting the activity-centres program listed the Department of Transport and Planning as a co-author but did not initially disclose that it was paid.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “One social media post spruiking the government’s activity centres program listed the Department of Transport and Planning as a co-author, but failed to disclose it was a paid . This was later addressed during VAGO’s investigation.”
Partly supportedThe lack of clear government branding or strict attribution requirements may weaken public confidence in the impartiality of government communications.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““This may weaken public confidence that government communications are impartial and produced solely in the public interest.””
Partly supportedThe Suburban Rail Loop Authority’s monthly social-media content for its minister and local MPs was described as inconsistent with the Act’s apolitical requirements.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “The Suburban Rail Loop Authority was also found to be providing monthly social media content to its minister and local MPs along the route of the project, including “tailored” content specifically for their pages. “Creating, tailoring or adapting content solely for politicians’ personal websites or social media accounts is not an appropriate use of public resources and is inconsistent with the apolitical requirements of the Act and digital guides,” the report says.”
Partly supported173 of 201 media releases between March and April contained party-political language or mentioned opposition MPs.Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: “Of the 201 media releases assessed between March 1 and April 22, the auditor-general considered 173 had party political language, and mentioned opposition MPs and parties.”
SupportedA government spokesperson said, “We have always followed the rules, but as technology changes, there are always ways to improve how we communicate.”Sydney Morning Herald - Latest News: ““We have always followed the rules, but as technology changes, there are always ways to improve how we communicate.””