Well, it appears to be over zealous management. One might as well say “eating at your desk can get you fired”. The problem isn’t the eating. It’s the management.
Yeah, the level of idiocy here is almost as high as in the "reporter may be prosecuted for using 'view source'" article.
I once triggered my domain account and PC intranet connection to be disabled because I started a Linux ISO download via BitTorrent. I didn't get in any trouble. Assuming this is even real, it's obviously just an example of bad management or there's more to the firing than what's being said.
When I started my CS degree they specifically made a point to say "Do not use bittorrent. Even for legitimate uses like Linux ISOs, you will get in trouble with the IT dept"