‘Don't share opinions, political views, or unverified news': Gujarat govt issues social media advisory for employees

Indian Express

10-05-2025

Looking at the 'rise in cyber threats targeting government infrastructure, including recent phishing campaigns, fake domain websites, and social media impersonation incidents reported across India', the Gujarat government issued an advisory on 'safe and responsible use of social media' for all government employees.
The advisory issued by Mona Khandhar, Principal Secretary, Science and Technology, to 'strengthen digital discipline and reduce exposure to cyber risks', says that all government officers and employees are advised to adhere to the 'best practices while using social media platforms'.
The advisory states, 'It is critical that government employees remain cautious in their digital activities. Social media, while useful for outreach and awareness, has also become a platform through which sensitive data leaks, misinformation, and impersonation of officials can occur. In such a situation, even small lapses can be exploited to cause significant reputational or operational harm.'
Listing the best practices, it states, 'Do not post or share official documents, photos of internal meetings, workspaces, or identity cards, avoid clicking on unknown or suspicious links, documents and QR codes received on social media and mail, use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on all accounts, avoid connecting your official government email ID to personal or third-party apps.'
The employees have also been advised to undertake a responsible online behaviour, which under the order states, 'Do not share opinions, political views, or unverified news that may affect the neutrality or image of the government, be cautious before forwarding content in WhatsApp groups or other platforms – verify before sharing, always maintain a professional and decorum in all online interactions, do not create or manage pages or groups using government department names, emblems, or logos without proper approval, avoid sharing videos or images from within government premises or meetings unless officially permitted, refrain from impersonating government authorities or using designations for personal influence.'
Further, the employees have been asked to promote only verified information related to government schemes or services, report fake profiles, suspicious content, or social media misuse to the cyber security team.
The employees, according to the advisory, have been asked not to share details about security forces, their movements, or government operations, 'do not forward unverified or sensational news, even if received in internal groups, immediately report any suspicious or phishing emails to the official addresses [e-mail], [e-mail] and [e-mail]'.