The Pentagon, the home of the US Department of Defense, has said it is reviewing its policy regarding the use of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter by military personnel.
The “review” comes just after these sites were banned by the Marine Corps due to security reasons, but that ban only applies to official Marine Corp computers and networks.
A spokesperson said in a statement the review should be completed by September, and also said the department recognises the value inherent in social networking sites.
But a tension exists, he said, “between using these as important tools and addressing the challenges from a security standpoint”. The department will come up with “a more coherent policy”.
“These internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content – and are particularly high-risk due to information exposure, user-generated content and targetting by adversaries.”
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
