United States Military Lifts Social Media Ban

A new policy released today by the Pentagon [PDF] will lift a previously set ban (from 2007 to present) on social media websites such as MySpace, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and so forth for members of the military. The bans originally came about after the aforementioned websites were deemed a “proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure.”

The lift is only applicable for the military’s non-classified networks — also known as NIPRNET — and allows for commanders to arbitrarily decide as to whether social media website should be accessible or remain blocked.

Whatever way you look at it, it’s a fantastic move. Troops away from home are the real beneficiaries here, and they need all the entertainment they can get.

[ via Mashable ]