by Julian E. Barnes
The burning question in the hallways of the Pentagon today: Will Adm. Michael G. Mullen have to take down his Facebook page?
The Pentagon has launched a study of the use of social networking websites designed to help craft new policies on how the military should use services such as Twitter, MySpace and Facebook, defense officials announced today.
Officials said they needed to craft rules that would allow the military to take advantage of the speedy communications that social networking sites offer without exposing sensitive information or opening computer networks to potential risks.
The use of social networking sites could expose defense computer networks to malicious software and create possible cyber-security problems, military officials said. Other officials worry that the sites could take up bandwidth that should be saved for more urgent military uses.
The study and policy recommendations, ordered by Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn, are due in late September or early October, said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman.
While waiting for the study, Whitman said, there was no department directive to stop using the social networking sites.
"We need to take a look at both the security aspects as well as benefits of the sites," Whitman said. "So it is a balance."
The Marines long have banned their service members from accessing Twitter, Facebook or MySpace from government computers. But a new order released Monday allowed some Marines--such as public affairs officers--to apply for a waiver to use the sites.
"Social networking sites have always been banned from government computers," said Lt. Craig Thomas, a Marine Corps spokesman. "Bandwidth needs to go to the operators."
The Marine Corps order restated the existing ban in the wake of a warning order from the U.S. Strategic Command that it was reviewing the use of social networking sites from Defense Department computers. But one defense official said the blanket ban from the Marine Corps was an overreaction.
"That is a pretty drastic step when we are trying to come up with a policy," the official said.
Marines still are allowed to access the sites from their own computers or recreational computers provided on military bases in the U.S. or overseas. But Thomas said Marines are expected not to reveal any secrets or details from upcoming operations on the websites.
"What you do on your own time is your own business as long as you keep to the Marine Corps ethos of honor, courage and commitment," Thomas said.
Despite the ban by the Marines, numerous defense officials from other services maintain personal Facebook pages, and a number of top commanders and officers maintain public sites - including Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Ray Odierno, the top commander in Iraq.
On Mullen's site, his staff posts articles about the chairman, statements on current events and comments from Mullen on events in which he has participated. Needless to say, Mullen's staff is not posting the inside skinny on his meetings with top Pakistani officials or his advice to President Obama.
A spokesman for Mullen said that the chairman had no plans to take down his Facebook site and would wait to see what policy changes are recommended by the study.
Comments
I spent ten years in the Navy. Granted this was 88 - 98 and the internet was just taking off. Still, there was never really a question about what should or should not be done on your private time. The military still expects you to behave in your personal life with the same kind of respect and honor you would on duty. That being said there always will be behavior in the military that doesn’t quite conform to those ideals. Alcohol often is a factor there. Still I don’t think this is quite as big an issue as the Defense Department is making it out to be. Everyone knows what’s expected of them and while they might not realize the penalties they might incur as a result of what they post on Facebook, they surely realize that there will be penalties for certain types of behavior/posts.
Posted by: Dave | August 4, 2009 1:43 PM
As one who fails to recognize any redeeming social value to social netwroking I find it very troubling that "numerous defense" officials are using these sites.
Posted by: James Sullivan | August 4, 2009 4:54 PM
Too bad this is necessary, but I guess it is.
Now would someone tell Mark Kirk he should tweet his whereabouts when he's on active duty?
Posted by: athena | August 4, 2009 6:25 PM
My response to a comment on another thread:
They are whatever you want them to be. Anyone can open a group, left, right, neutral, or whatever. I do think certain apps should be blocked considering the sensitivity of US Military computers. I have multiple friends overseas right now, two in Iraq, and it is nice to be able to keep in touch with them. Their mom's can actually see pictures of their sons in real time and communicate with them while they are there. One of my friends can see pictures of his newborn baby growing up while he is there. I think the people who benefit most from these sites are soldiers. One of the worst things the military could do would be to block our soldiers from using them.
Posted by: Steve | August 4, 2009 7:08 PM