The federal government has begun strict monitoring of both official and personal social media accounts belonging to civil servants, moving to enforce action against employees found violating social media provisions under the Civil Service Conduct Rules.
According to sources, the decision follows a policy shift to rigorously implement the new Civil Servants Conduct Rules 2026, which now bring the personal social media accounts of government officers within regulatory scope for the first time.
Officials engaged in anti government activity or promoting narratives against the state will face disciplinary action under the new framework. The rules also target civil servants operating anonymous or fake accounts to malign the government or state institutions, with sources confirming no exemptions will be granted in such cases.
Under the revised rules, no officer may use a personal social media account to promote official government work. Official accounts, in turn, are barred from being used for personal promotion, branding, or self projection.
Sources said any officer may be required to disclose details of both official and personal social media accounts upon request. Official accounts may only be created and operated with prior written authorization, and such accounts will be permitted to disseminate verified government information and activity alone.
An officer relinquishing their position will be required to hand over control of all official social media accounts, including login credentials, archived data, and administrative access, to their successor.
The rules impose a complete ban on publishing opinions or information that contradict government policy or official positions. The scope of the regulations extends beyond social media to cover television, radio, podcasts, blogs, videos, and websites. Any officer found violating the rules will face departmental action.
