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Headings: DOD's new policy 'likes' social media, but with caveats
DOD's new policy 'likes' social media, but with caveats
Clearing the fog of Facebook
The elephant in the room
Filling in the gaps
Social media missteps
The appropriation of Adm. Stavridis’ identity
Marine dismissed for Obama-bashing on Facebook
Geotagging slip backfires big time
Indian, British and Israeli service members leak confidential data online

Content: DOD's new policy 'likes' social media, but with caveats
By Amber Corrin
Aug 14, 2012
For all its benefits and the enjoyment it brings to the people who use it, social media has a dark side. When it comes to military users, one slip — such as an inadvertent mention of a deployment timing or location — can endanger lives. But given its intrinsically open nature and constantly changing boundaries, how can the Defense Department effectively manage social media? Pentagon officials at the highest levels recognize the importance of social media for communicating with the public and collaborating within the department, as well as providing troops access to their loved ones even when they are stationed thousands of miles away. But leaders know they must weigh those advantages against the sensitive security needs inherent to military operations. To strike a balance, DOD officials are focusing on regulating, not restricting, social media use. Currently, DOD’s social media policy is governed by a directive-type memorandum (DTM) from 2010 — a two-page document that superficially outlines the rules and responsibilities those under Pentagon jurisdiction must follow in their use of social media. That policy will change in the coming months as the department prepares to issue more permanent and detailed DOD instructions that will expand the existing guidance. “Because the DTM was the first ever, it was galvanizing for the department to work its way through the potential rules around social media use at DOD,” said Rob Carey, DOD’s deputy CIO. “ As you can imagine, with a very structured, hierarchical organization such as ours, we were dealing with ‘How do I use this thing?’”