Posting reels, videos on social media? Government officials may soon face new rules

The Union government is considering a social media code of conduct for its employees and officers amid a rise in government staff posting reels, videos and personal views on social media platforms, according to media reports.

The proposal has been discussed at the highest levels of the government, with officials examining ways to regulate posts on subjects that may be inappropriate or sensitive.

PM Modi asks officials to examine proposal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has directed senior officials to explore the possibility of introducing such a code, news agency PTI reported, citing official sources.

During a recent meeting with government secretaries, Modi also asked the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to accelerate the launch of the “Ek Bharat” portal, a unified platform intended to provide government services to citizens, according to the Times of India.

Cabinet Secretary T V Somanathan has also outlined action points from the meeting in a communication to bureaucrats this week, the report said.

If introduced, the proposed social media rules are expected to apply across the board, covering officers and employees regardless of their rank.

No clarity yet on rules

The government has not yet indicated when the proposed code will be issued or what specific restrictions it could contain.

According to sources cited by PTI, the move is being considered because there are currently no specific rules governing social media activity by government employees.

The discussion comes amid instances of officials sharing content that highlights or glorifies their work and official positions on social media.

Government tightens rules on unlawful content

Separately, the government recently tightened requirements for social media platforms dealing with unlawful content. Last month, the deadline for intermediaries to remove “unlawful information” after receiving a valid government or court notice was reduced from 36 hours to three hours.

The move came alongside measures concerning deepfakes and AI-generated videos. MeitY directed platforms to ensure permissible AI-generated content carries clear labels and traceable metadata.

“Intermediaries are required to ensure clear labelling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content, so that users can easily identify synthetically generated material and prevent deception or misuse,” the revised rules said.

The amended rules also require platforms to raise user awareness about the legal consequences of posting unlawful AI-generated content and comply with stronger due diligence requirements.

“It further strengthens user accountability and platform due diligence, including mandatory user awareness regarding legal consequences of unlawful AI-generated content and stronger compliance obligations for social media intermediaries,” it added.