Social Media & Electronic Communication Tools

We use social media and electronic communication tools carefully

The term “Roche electronic communication tools” covers any Roche hardware such as smartphones, computers, tablets, infrastructure, as well as any collaboration solutions, including e-mail, chat and social media.

For business-related communication, only Roche electronic communication tools may be used. Any new technology services, systems, platforms, tools operated by third parties, software, and electronic tools intended for business use or to process company data must be assessed and authorised by Roche or Genentech Information Security prior to any such use. As a general principle, but subject to local restrictions, appropriate personal use of Roche electronic communication tools in compliance with applicable Roche policies and directives is accepted.

Roche electronic communication tools must be used with due care. In the event of theft or other loss of hardware or data (e.g. breach of security measures, phishing and unintended data sharing), the local IT service function must be informed immediately.

With regard to the use of Roche electronic communication tools, privacy rights are not unreservedly guaranteed. In certain circumstances, such as for system operations, maintenance, integrity and security purposes, for significant business continuity purposes and in case of investigations and litigation, these rights may be rescinded in accordance with applicable Roche data privacy principles and standards.

Social Media
External channels that are owned by Roche should only be created and managed by Roche Communications Managers. Channel owners should take appropriate trainings, register the channel in the Roche Digital Registry and monitor the channel for adverse events and product complaints.

Employees’ personal channels do not need to be registered, but your conduct on your channel may reflect on the company and can have consequences. For example, communication about our products is highly regulated, and posting about products is not allowed.

We are all expected to:
  • For business purposes, use only approved Roche electronic communication tools.
  • Use Roche electronic tools with due care, primarily for business use and unless otherwise restricted only to a reasonable extent for personal purposes.
  • Use personal social media in a responsible way.
Questions & Answers

My team wants to download and use this new collaboration tool that I used at my previous company. Can we do that?

It is important that the tools and applications you use are approved by Roche. These tools have gone through the necessary review and have the right licences to support use within the company. Use of unapproved tools may put company data at risk.

I notice that somebody is tweeting on access to and use of real-world data (RWD). I strongly disagree with the statement made. Am I allowed to refer to Roche’s Position Paper on Access to & Use of RWD?

Yes, you are allowed to do so. The objective of a Roche Position Paper is to provide a company view on specific sustainability topics that are material to the business and important to our stakeholders. You are strongly encouraged to read and make reference to the Roche Position Papers. Those can be found on the Roche Internet website.

Further Informations

Further information and guidance can be found on the Roche Internet and Intranet. For specific information on electronic communication tools consult the Roche Directive on Electronic Communication Tools and the Roche Directive on Legal Compliance of Digital Channels.

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