U.S. Marine Corps Bans Facebook, Twitter

Issues an official circular demanding an immediate ban of Internet social web portals

By now, we all are wary of the fact that Internet, and especially social networking websites, can be hazardous to national security if not used rightly. The Indian Army had issued a circular stating that all professional info must be taken off the internet immediately and defense personnel must be careful while posting pictures that may disclose their whereabouts, or any other professional info on public forums.

Now, the U.S. Marine Corps has issued an official circular demanding an immediate ban of Internet Social Web Portals like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and so on.


The order reads:


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 SNS [social network sites] creates a larger attack and exploitation window, exposes unnecessary information to adversaries and provides an easy conduit for information leakage that puts OPSEC [operational security], COMSEC [communications security], [and] personnel and the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) at an elevated risk of compromise.


However, the order does not affect Marines' use of private computers but only the machines that are connected to the central Marine Corps grid. A report by CNN added that the Pentagon is now reviewing its social networking policy for the entire Department of Defense, which should be completed by the end of September.


Social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, and Twitter have emerged to be the popular choice of keeping in touch with friends, family and colleagues, especially when one is on the move.

People usually want to know 'where' their contacts are and 'what' are they doing. Disclosing these on public forums such as social networking sites can not only be dangerous for the personnel but also a concern of national security