The Pentagon announced on Friday to have authorized the use of about 10 social-networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook and other so-called "Web 2.0" sites across the U. S. military, posting that the benefits of social media outweighed security concerns.
Troops are now powered with unrestricted access to social networking sites, if security precautions are imposed and ethical guidelines are followed, Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn posted yesterday in announcing the new policy.
“Official uses of Internet-based capabilities are permitted”, Lynn said. Postings should include a disclaimer “when personal opinions are expressed”, he added.
Earlier the troops were facing restrictions, framed to ensure the security of military computers and preserve the use of bandwidth.
"The purpose of the policy is to recognize that we need to take advantage of these Internet-based capabilities. These Web 2.0 tools need to be part of what we use", David Wennergren, a deputy assistant secretary of defense, told Reuters.
The Pentagon’s Web site lists all major military users of privately held, Palo Alto, California-based Facebook Inc.
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