Pretty much since they appeared just a few years ago, people have debated the merits of social networking sites. Just last weekend the head of the Catholic Church in England criticized them. But the Marines have gone one step further – they’ve been troops from using Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. But this is because of security concerns.
The order states:
"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 targeting by adversaries. The very nature of social networking sites creates a larger attack and exploitation window."
Defense secretary William Lynn has ordered a review of the military’s social networking policies, which could result in a total ban on usage. The Pentagon temporarily blocked its computers from accessing the sites, and last year began Troop Tube, a way for field personnel to share videos back home, but only after they’d been vetted.
That said, the Pentagon has its own Facebook page, and, according to the Guardian, the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, has 4,000 people following his Tweets.
In some cases Marines will be able to continue using social network sites, but it will require special permission.
