No more MySpace for the military

The U.S. military has seen the enemy, and it is Web 2.0. Explaining a ban on 13 popular websites, including MySpace, YouTube,  MTV, and Pandora, Gen. B.B. Bell, head of U.S. Forces Korea, complained that the popularity of these “Web 2.0” sites “impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational ...

The U.S. military has seen the enemy, and it is Web 2.0.

The U.S. military has seen the enemy, and it is Web 2.0.

Explaining a ban on 13 popular websites, including MySpace, YouTube,  MTV, and Pandora, Gen. B.B. Bell, head of U.S. Forces Korea, complained that the popularity of these “Web 2.0” sites “impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth ability, while posing a significant operational security challenge.”

Those are certainly valid concerns, but blocking access to soldiers’ social sites hinders the communication between troops and their families and friends back home that is vital for morale. And in a larger sense, the Pentagon might be throwing the baby out with the bathwater with this move. Too often, the military and the White House complain about the lack of positive stories coming out of Iraq, whether because of liberal media bias, or just the plain news value of bombings over new schools. Yet here’s an organic opportunity to air the accomplishments, and yes, struggles, of those in the battlefield with the entire world. And they’re shutting it down?

Of course, this kind of transparency shouldn’t come at the cost of national security, and locations of troop movements ought to be off-limits. But that’s the kind of thing to be handled case by case. After all, even President Bush has sung the praises of personal blogs and social networking as a source for positive news from Iraq. Maybe the military could take a cue.  

Kate Palmer is deputy managing editor at Foreign Policy.

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.
Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.
Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.
Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.
An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.