Pentagon Allows Social Networking on Military Computers

Reversing a 2007 decision banning social networking on military computers, the Department of Defense announced a new policy allowing users on Pentagon servers to access Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr and other similar sites.

The new rules show an increasing awareness by top brass that more troops, even those overseas, are using social networking on the web to keep in touch with loved ones.

Restrictions still exist, of course, but they're not much different than those in place at any major private company. The new policy says that commanders shall "continue to defend against malicious activity," namely to stop cyber attacks, safeguard missions, and maintain adequate bandwidth, The New York Times reported. Access is denied to sites containing "prohibited content," such as pornography, gambling, and hate-crime related activities.

"DoD is moving away from the silly notion of having 'blacklisted' social media sites and saying, 'We're not going to lay down the hammer and tell you where you can and cannot go, we're going to mitigate risk as it comes,' " the Army's social media adviser, Lindy Kyzer, told the newspaper.

It's not just enlisted personnel who are embracing new technologies. The Times pointed out that the Pentagon announcement wasn't made by traditional press release, but on the Twitter feed of Price Floyd, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs.

The department also launched its own social media internet hub, complete with Twitter feeds, YouTube accounts, and links to the military's various Facebook pages, the technology blog ReadWriteWeb reported. Even the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, is now on Facebook.

Read the complete Defense Department policy here.