TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Army Clamping Down on Soldier's Blogs, Web Sites

Army Clamping Down on Soldier's Blogs, Web Sites

Reuters News Wire (reuters@telecom-digest.org)
Wed, 02 May 2007 13:12:45 -0500

The U.S. Army is tightening restrictions on soldiers' blogs and other
Web site postings to ensure sensitive information about military
operations does not make it onto public forums.

Soldiers in war zones are already subject to restrictions on blogging
and public posts. But the Army's new regulation could affect service
members who have returned from war zones and started blogs about their
combat experiences.

Under a new directive issued in April, soldiers must consult with
their immediate supervisor and an officer responsible for what's known
within the military as operational security, or OPSEC, for a review of
planned publications.

Reviews will be needed for Web site postings, blog postings, discussions
on Internet information forums and discussions on Internet message
boards, according to the Army directive.

E-mail that will be published in a public forum is also subject to
review under the regulation. But Army officers said personal e-mails
will not be reviewed, calling that impractical.

"We're not asking that people not blog but that people be cognizant of
OPSEC," said Army spokesman Paul Boyce.

Blogs, short for Web logs, are journal-style Web sites where people
publish their diaries or thoughts, talk about current events or link
to other stories or pictures.

Their popularity has grown in recent years, including among service
members and their families who often use blogs to post pictures from
the war zone and link to stories about Iraq.

Copyright 2007 Reuters Limited.

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