The Pentagon said soldiers will be allowed to Tweet, blog and update their Facebook pages on the US military's non-classified computer network under a new policy.
The decision came after a seven-month review with senior officials concluding that the benefits of social media outweighed the risks associated with free-wheeling web 2.0 sites that are popular with a younger generation of soldiers and Defense Department civilians.
Previously, the Pentagon worried that YouTube or other social media could take up precious bandwidth or that careless entries could expose military secrets.
While stressing the principle of allowing access, the policy unveiled Friday sets limits that grant commanders authority to "defend against malicious activity" such as cyber attacks and to bar access to sites with pornography, gambling or hate-crime content.
Commanders can also block access to social networking sites if necessary to protect a mission or protect sufficient bandwidth -- but only on a temporary basis, said the policy memorandum.
"This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st Century Internet tools," Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said in a statement.
By: Brant
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