Department of Defense says no more YouTube or MySpace
The U.S. Department of Defense issued a memo Friday that states it intends to begin blocking network access--including that of soldiers serving overseas--to several popular "Internet entertainment sites" on Monday, according to the Associated Press. The 12 total sites to be blocked include several large social networking and media sharing sites like MySpace, YouTube, MTV, Pandora, and Photobucket.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Army cracked down on soldiers' personal blogs, citing security concerns. Operational security, according to the memo from the DoD that was cited in Monday's AP article, is also a reason behind the new ban on MySpace, YouTube, and other social media sites. But that's not all--"recreational traffic," the memo says, is a drain on bandwidth.
DoD network operations, the memo said, "(have) noted a significant increase in use of DoD network resources tied up by individuals visiting certain recreational Internet sites."
But the AP article cited some perspectives from critics of the new policy, who stated that social media sites are not only an important way for many young people to keep in touch with families and friends, but they're also important news sources in today's world.
"This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets," Wired defense blogger Noah Shachtman is quoted as saying. "And they are muzzling their best voices."
Caroline McCarthy, a CNET News staff writer, is a downtown Manhattanite happily addicted to social-media tools and restaurant blogs. Her pre-CNET resume includes interning at an IT security firm and brewing cappuccinos. E-mail Caroline. 
earlier? Everyone knows how to get around it, but I heard at work
that they have started identifying the users who use the Proxies to
get around it. Sounds like with this announcement there may be
some way to enforce it. It's all crap, because like the article says,
many young soldiers use this to communicate with friends and
family back home, and not every joe can have a computer at home,
or afford internet in the barracks. Oh well
- Gangs Advertise Gun s on 'You Tube'
- by Phil Owen August 23, 2007 3:26 AM PDT
- Following the murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liverpool, the police say they have gun crime under control. What about youth involved in gangs using video sharing site ?you tube?
- Like this Reply to this comment
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(3 Comments)I am disgusted that these gangs are openly advertising themselves and their crime involving Guns, Cars, Knives and dangerous ?banned? dogs on ?You Tube?
You tube that is worldwide need to be monitoring the content uploaded by members and they should report this offensive content to the police.
One such video shows a youth running onto the bonnet of a police car kicking in the window and then running off, another like many of the videos show youths some I guess to be as young as 14 brandishing hand guns, shot guns and banned knives. They are seen showing the bullets in the cartridge and then cocking them and pointing it to the person videoing them.
It seems too easy for these youths to advertise themselves on the internet.
Phil Owen