Military Gives OK toTwitter and Facebook

(AP)  Everyone from troops in the field to the highest brass and civilian leaders will be allowed to Twitter, blog and use Facebook and other social networking sites on the U.S. military's non-classified computer network, the Pentagon announced Friday.

The new policy follows a seven-month review in which the Defense Department weighed the threats and benefits of allowing the wide use of emerging Internet capabilities. It essentially seeks to manage the risks while acknowledging the Internet is proving a powerful tool for a myriad of tasks including recruiting, public relations, collaboration with a wide range of people and for communications between troops and their families.

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To guard security, it allows commanders to cut off access - on a temporary basis only - if that is required to safeguard a mission or reserve bandwidth for official use. The new directive also makes practices uniform across the entire department, in which different commands previously blocked certain things while others didn't. Visiting sites for pornography, gambling or hate-crime activities is still prohibited on military computers.

"We need to take advantage of these capabilities that are out there - this Web 2.0 phenomena," said David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information technology. "The idea is be responsible and use these tools to help get the job done."

The new directive means that YouTube, MySpace and more than a dozen sites blocked by the Pentagon in May 2007 will be unblocked, he said. The Pentagon said at the time that the use of video sites in particular was straining its network and using too much of its bandwidth. But Wennergren said Friday that the move failed to stem the use of bandwidth because people just went to alternate sites.

[squeakof2006]

I have a friend serving in the military. I love being able to talk to him. I look forward to him being able to be on Facebook chat so that we can talk more often. This was a smart move by the military.

[I_am_me1953]

Don't know so much about it being a "smart" move.

Hopefully our soldires won't be trying to tweet in the middle of a fire fight.

[Dgunner]

These sites are the first sites iused when the government wants obtain information on anyone. From law enforcement to potenetial employers.The hayseed cops in my area go there first thing to check for names on booking slips and information on your family and friends.I was arrested last year for assault on a man whom slapped his wife down in public . I picked him up and threw him over his truck.{yes iam that big]When booked i didnt put anyone name on booking information. They asked who to contact in case of medical emergency ? I replied call a ambulance . who to contact in case of death I answered call the coroner.They asked for e-mail i said i dont have a computer and dont want one.They said they were going to keep me until i gave the names of relatives. I finally told them the entire Cherokee nation was my relatives and that included about forty lawyers. They let me bond after the lawyer for indian affairs called the jail.Bottom line they only know what you tell them. This is the age of information keep yours private. It can be used against you if it has been posted on your sites.

[I_am_me1953]

And your comment brings up another good point.

The police and lawyers wil tell you, "You have the right to remain silent:, use it.

Everytime you open your mouth you give them something to prosecute you with.

Go to http://flexyourrights.org/ and read/see more.

[linfinster]

Wow! The military must have made a behind the scenes deal with Facebook, seeing how they own everything anyone posts on their site. Or better yet Big Brother owns the www so lol whatever .. we're screwed.

[ilyaquiss]

this is just another stupid decision amongst many in the military. The terrorists now can log in, and take notes of a soldier's family members and harm them that way. The drug cartels are using these networking sites to find out weak spots on their enemies.