THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to rein in employees who are actively involved in social media, the state government has ordered that they should refrain from starting their own YouTube channels. The order was issued by the home department on February 3.
As per the order, starting YouTube channels is against the code of conduct of the state government as per the rule formulated in 1960.
The new order comes after a firefighter’s application seeking permission to start a YouTube channel was rejected. Posting a video or article on the Internet or social media can be regarded as an act of individuality and creative freedom.
But if the channel is subscribed by more than a certain number of people, those who uploaded the video could earn money. This can be considered a violation of the Kerala Government Employees Conduct Rules, 1960, the order stated. Those who have already started channels will be asked to close their accounts.