Abstract

The Code of Conduct for Public Officials is an ethical guideline produced by the Ministry of Finance for all public sector authorities in Finland. The Code defines the value base of public administration and legal obligations, establish the confidentiality and independence of official duties, and address how authorities should act when present on social media. The Code of Conduct emphasizes that officials must always act with awareness of their official status as representatives of the state administration and equates all social media activity to public speaking roles.