Kolkata Police tightens social media rules for officers, bans uniform and official symbols in personal posts

Kolkata Police issued a comprehensive set of guidelines to regulate the social media usage of its personnel. This directive, issued by Rupesh Kumar, the acting head of the Detective Department, aims to maintain discipline within the police force and safeguard sensitive police operations. The guidelines prohibit police officers from using their uniforms, national symbols, or police badges in any personal social media posts, in an effort to prevent misuse of police imagery.

Additionally, officers are not allowed to post images or videos featuring police vehicles, office chambers, police buildings, or any other police-related infrastructure. The directive also restricts officers from sharing any case-related information, including details about ongoing investigations, upcoming operations, or work-related procedures. This is intended to prevent the leak of sensitive police data, as well as to avoid any unintended disclosures of operational strategies.

The new rules extend to digital security measures as well. Officers are required to disable geo-tagging and location tracking features on their smartphones. Furthermore, the directive mandates that officers refrain from using any banned or unauthorized applications on their devices. This measure is aimed at ensuring that police personnel’s personal devices do not compromise the confidentiality of law enforcement activities.

Violation of these guidelines will lead to severe penalties, including charges under the Official Secrets Act, the Information Technology Act, and the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules. The directive emphasizes that failure to comply with these regulations could lead to serious consequences for the officers involved, reinforcing the need for discipline and confidentiality within the police force. These changes are part of a broader effort to prevent the leakage of operational information and protect the integrity of police work.