Centre may soon regulate what govt officials post on social media, talks on: Report

The Indian government is considering the introduction of a social media code of conduct for its officials and employees, according to reports. This comes as the trend of government staff posting videos, reels, and personal opinions on social media platforms increases. The idea for a code was discussed at the highest levels of the government, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi directing senior officials to examine the possibility.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been tasked with speeding up the launch of the "Ek Bharat" portal, a unified platform for government services. During a meeting with government secretaries, cabinet secretary T V Somanathan outlined the action points emerging from the discussion. The code of conduct, if implemented, will apply to all officers and employees, regardless of their rank.

However, the timing and specific guidelines remain unclear. This development follows a recent decision to reduce the deadline for social media platforms to remove "unlawful information" from 36 hours to three hours after receiving a valid notice from the government or a court. The move aims to address concerns over deepfakes and AI-generated videos, with the MeitY directing intermediaries to ensure clear labeling and traceable metadata for permissible AI-generated content.