Does Belocal regularly monitor or control the content of a Belocal franchisee's social media sites?
Belocal Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Typically, the types of Online Presences we will permit you to create and operate are social media sites for the Publication. Failure to comply with any social media policies we may establish may be a default under the Franchise Agreement. You must grant us administrative access to each of the social media sites you use, however, we do not regularly monitor or control the content of these social media sites, including the content you post.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 37–42)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Belocal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, Belocal does not regularly monitor or control the content of a franchisee's social media sites, including the content posted by the franchisee. However, franchisees are typically permitted to create and operate social media sites for their publications.
Belocal does require franchisees to grant them administrative access to each of the social media sites that they use. Furthermore, franchisees must comply with any social media policies established by Belocal, and failure to do so may be considered a default under the Franchise Agreement.
Belocal also reserves the right to require franchisees to obtain their consent to create or operate online presences related to Belocal, the System, the Marks, any publication, or the franchisee's business. Belocal can also revoke a franchisee's permission to use any Online Presence at any time. These stipulations allow Belocal to maintain some level of oversight and control over the brand's online image, even though they do not actively monitor content.