For all my government communicator/social media coordinator readers, the Government Social Media Conference (GSMCON) has released its full schedule for this year’s annual conference which will take place May 4 – 7, 2026 in New Orleans and will offer both in-person and virtual attendance options. You can find the full schedule here. Note that if you are planning to register for in-person attendance, there are a limited number of those tickets remaining.

If you are going to be at this year’s conference, don’t miss the two sessions Julie Tappendorf will be presenting (info below):

Thursday, May 7th – 9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

What Counts as Protected Speech on Social Media?

Julie Tappendorf, Ancel Glink, PC

We’ll cover what types of comments have First Amendment protection and how those protections apply to your agency’s social media pages. This Speed Session focuses on the core constitutional principles that guide everyday moderation decisions, helping you understand how protected speech plays out in common social-media scenarios.

Thursday, May 7th – 10:15 a,m. – 10:45 a.m.


AI-Generated Content Risks


Julie Tappendorf, Ancel Glink, PC


This Speed Session highlights the emerging legal risks of artificial intelligence in government social media workflows. We’ll look at how AI may raise questions related to copyright protections for creative content and the considerations social media content creators and moderators should keep in mind. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of key legal issues to be aware of when using AI tools.