The Union Government is likely to roll out a social media code of conduct for government employees and officers amid a growing trend of officials posting reels, videos and personal opinions on social media platforms, as per several media reports. 

Reportedly, the issue has been put up for discussion with the government’s top brass, which is mulling a set of guidelines to prevent officials from posting videos or expressing views on inappropriate or sensitive subjects on social media, as per a report by news agency PTI. The report cited official sources. 

Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has issued instructions to senior officials to examine the possibility of introducing such a code, the report claimed. 

Social media rules to ply for all officials

During a meeting chaired recently with government secretaries, PM Modi also ordered the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to expedite the launch of the ‘Ek Bharat’ portal, a unified platform aimed at providing government services to citizens. 

Cabinet Secretary TV Somanathan has reportedly outlined the action points emerging from the meeting in a communication to bureaucrats this week. 

As per the sources cited by PTI, the proposed code of conduct would apply to all government officials and employees, regardless of their rank. However, the time of the policy’s rollout and the specific restrictions to be brought in force remain unclear at this juncture. 

The sources cited by PTI said the government felt the need for a dedicated social media code as currently there are no specific rules governing such online activity by government employees. 

Govt pulls the plug on unlawful content

The development surfaced shortly after the government tightened the regulations governing social media platforms. In August 2026, the Centre reduced the deadline for social media companies to take down unlawful information from 36 hours to three hours after receiving a valid notice from the government or a court. 

The move came amid mounting concerns over deepfakes and AI-generated videos. MeitY directed intermediaries to ensure that permissible AI-generated content carries clear labels and traceable metadata, allowing users to identify synthetically generated material and guard against deception or misuse.