DoD social-media policy in limbo

The Pentagon is still studying whether to allow social networking on its websites, a tough problem for an agency that often deals with classified information. It was expected to release a report weighing the risks and benefits of using social networking, but has been delayed for months.

David Wennergren, the DoD's deputy chief information officer, said there is pressure to create an official DoD social media policy. "The Internet has happened, and we are hopelessly wedded to it," Wennergren told Federal Computer Week, stressing the need for a cautious and balanced approach to forming policy. "We need to look at this as Internet-based capabilities rather than just social networking. This is more than just for 'quality of life' [for deployed soldiers]. These tools are for broader use than people realize."

Every federal agency has jumped onto this new phenomenon except the DoD. The real question is how freely should information be shared, and should everyone have the right to jump onto a social networking site?

There are plenty of reasons for the DoD to join the social networking trend, including information sharing, keeping up with technology and being transparent. There are reasons to oppose it, as well including the threat of security breaches and disclosure of sensitive information. The decision is expected soon. No matter what it is, some people will like it and others will launch instant critiques.

For more on DoD and social networking:
- see this Federal Computer Week article

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