Pa. court to rule on secrecy of state police social media policy

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Pennsylvania's highest court is considering whether state police should have to disclose details to the public about how they use information from social media for criminal investigations and hiring decisions.

The state Supreme Court on Monday said it would hear the appeal by the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.

In May, a Commonwealth Court panel upheld the police agency's decision to black out large sections of the document they provided.

The justices are reviewing whether the lower court should have privately examined the redacted portions of the state police's social media monitoring policy and other evidence before overturning the Office of Open Records' order granting access to the ACLU.

They'll also consider the lower court's heavy reliance on an affidavit by the state police's criminal investigations director.