The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is encouraging athletes to utilize social media during the 2012 games, coming up with a “Social Media, Internet, and Blogging Guidelines” document with the hopes that athletes will feel free to share their experiences through social media and blogging.  However, after reading the guidelines, I wonder if athletes might actually be less inclined to do so, because once again, Internet freedom has been accompanied by a catch.

The guidelines apply to participants and other accredited persons during the “Period of the Olympic Games” and dictates what kind of content can be posted on social media sites.  Most importantly, athletes and other accredited persons must post in a “first-person, diary-type format and should not be in the role of a journalist” and must not use social media for any commercial or advertising purposes.

Athletes and accredited persons and organizations are also not allowed to use the “Olympic Symbol” (the five interlocking rings) on their social media platforms, to create any stand-alone websites or other features using the word “Olympics” or similar words unless previous approval is given, or “report on the competition or comment on the activities of other participants or accredited persons.”

Well, what happens if an accredited person’s tweets don’t “conform to the Olympic spirit”?  The person or organization’s accreditation may be withdrawn without notice, shut down online operations or issue a take down notice, or even take legal action.

I’m sure that the guidelines were written with good intentions and that the IOC really does want participants to use social media more.  But with so many regulations to follow and with so much at stake, participants in the Olympics may actually use social media less during the games for fear of accidentally breaking a rule.  Do you think the guidelines will encourage participants and accredited persons, or can you see them having a chilling effect?