Army’s social media exit could hurt small contractors

The Army’s forcewide consolidation of social media accounts has spurred concerns that key portions of the service’s industrial base could be left in the dark even as leaders encourage new entrants and innovation.

Those worries flared earlier this year when the Army’s Office of Small Business Programs announced it would stop posting on LinkedIn, where it has amassed more than 25,000 followers. Some viewed the decision as a slap in the face to nontraditional contractors, suggesting they aren’t important enough to speak to directly, one former defense industrial base official said.

Social media platforms have helped level the playing field for small businesses without the defense acquisition know-how of Pentagon primes, giving them an easily accessible way to make their voices heard and find opportunities that might otherwise get buried in the federal contracting system. Removing that outlet could ultimately cut out the commercial players DoD has tried to woo over the past decade, sources told Federal News Network.

The move follows an Army-wide memo in June tightening the service’s grip on who is allowed to speak publicly on its behalf. Its revised policy allows only high-level officials, such as the secretary, chief of staff and sergeant major of the Army, as well as certain commands, formations and installations, to maintain official accounts.

The directive aims to “focus Army communications and reduce risk while speaking with a clear, unified voice to communicate readiness and provide valuable information to soldiers and families,” the memo said.

Under the policy, all other organizations must close and archive their accounts, the service said. That includes subordinate combat units across the force and the offices that operate recreational facilities like on-base bowling alleys. They may post content to their official websites and submit it for posting by higher headquarters.

The June memo built on an earlier policy update that banned active-duty organizations without authorized public affairs staff from maintaining social media accounts. Reserve units were barred from keeping official accounts unless they are overseen by a brigadier general or above.

In its goodbye message on LinkedIn, the Army’s small business office pointed online visitors to its official website for all further updates.

“We encourage small businesses and industry partners to visit regularly to stay informed about the latest information on how to engage with the Army,” it wrote.

Its withdrawal sparked swift criticism from the business community. Commenters lamented the loss of a resource that kept industry informed and encourages their participation, noting that it puts the Army at a disadvantage compared to the other armed forces. One senior civilian at NASA suggested firms follow the space agency’s small business office instead.

One person with knowledge of the Army’s social media efforts called it a step backward for the office and its ability to communicate with industry.

Official websites are more difficult to update and don’t let government workers respond quickly, the source said. Social media allows the Army to push more information out faster on a platform vendors use daily, they added, while it takes more work for vendors to manually check government websites for changes.

Kurt Worden, who works in business development at NOVA Power Solutions, told Federal News Network he’s not as worried about losing a direct line to government. But he said the change can make it harder for companies to navigate the growing range of contracting opportunities the Pentagon is using to attract commercial firms amid Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s drive to expand the defense industrial base.

Contract opportunities are often mislabeled online or nested within other solicitations, making them easy to miss in basic searches of federal procurement sites, said Worden, who also serves as chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association’s small business division.

Social media gave the Army a place to highlight under-the-radar solicitations that companies might have missed, he said, and industry needs to adapt quickly to remain visible.

The Army’s shift follows a broader crackdown on the U.S. military’s online presence at the beginning of Hegseth’s tenure in January 2025. Last year, accounts across the armed forces went on hiatus while staff scrubbed them for content not aligned with the Trump administration’s priorities, including those that Pentagon leadership felt promoted diversity.

One former senior DoD official lamented the impact that restricting official social media use in the digital age could have on the military’s ability to share its story and reach new audiences.

“The long-term effects of limiting our military connection with both the media and the American public will undoubtedly be detrimental,” the former official said. “I am all about protecting operational security, but [am] a huge proponent [of] maximum disclosure with minimum delay and connecting with the public we serve, especially as we’ve increasingly become a ‘black box’ to most Americans.”

Executive Editor Jason Miller contributed to this story.

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