The Kerala High Court has handed the state government a setback by ordering the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) to cease sending unsolicited messages to government employees. The court's decision follows concerns raised about the privacy of employees after it was revealed that the CMO had allegedly acquired personal information such as mobile numbers and email IDs without proper consent. The court is now demanding an explanation from the government regarding how these sensitive details were obtained and whether this constitutes an invasion of privacy.

The case emerged from a petition filed by an employee from the state's general administration department, who claimed that the CMO was illegally sending messages that highlighted government achievements to employees. The petitioner expressed confusion over how their personal data was shared with the CMO, hinting at the possibility that the data might have been retrieved from the 'SPARK' (Service Pay Roll Administrative Repository for Kerala) portal used by the state for payroll management.

As a result of the court's ruling, no further messages of this nature should be sent to government employees until the matter is resolved in the next hearing, which is scheduled for Friday. This case raises significant concerns about the management of personal data within government systems and the ethical obligations of governmental bodies to respect the privacy of their employees, highlighting the need for stricter regulations regarding data use and consent.