The Kerala government has issued an order stating that government employees will not be allowed to have YouTube channels or post videos to the social media platform in a way that benefits them financially. The order, dated February 3, was issued by RS Rusi, deputy secretary in the Labour and Skills department. The order said that while employees’ individual freedom allows them to use the internet and social media, they are not allowed to have more than a certain number of subscribers, or financially benefit from a YouTube channel. It said, “This can be considered a violation of Kerala Government Employees Conduct Rules, 1960. Therefore, it is informed that according to the current rules, it is not possible to grant permission to government employees to start a YouTube channel.”
According to The New Indian Express, the order comes after a firefighter’s request to create a YouTube channel was denied. The order further asked government employees with already existing YouTube channels to close their accounts. Mathrubhumi reported that the move was intended to cut back on the amount of time government employees spend on social media.
In 2021, the Karnataka government passed an order asking government employees to refrain from posting views and opinions on social media that would ‘embarrass’ the government. The order, issued by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms (DPAR), said that disciplinary action will be taken against officials who post photos, opinions or posts that would ‘embarrass’ the government. In an earlier circular, the government had asked its employees to refrain from approaching the media to express any dissent from the state administration.