DoD: Social media is not banned

Technology

DoD: Social media is not banned

The Defense Department’s social media policy was set to expire March 1, GovLoop reported this week. Any long-term policy had been “shelved...

Federal News Network Staff

January 14, 2011 6:02 pm

< a min read

The Defense Department’s social media policy was set to expire March 1, GovLoop reported this week. Any long-term policy had been “shelved indefinitely,” according to the blog post.

But Wired reported Friday that the Pentagon will not ban social media.

“Social media tools are pervasive in the 21st century communications environment, and the department intends to fully utilize those capabilities,” Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman, told Wired.

Meanwhile, Wired reports that DoD no longer has a single person guiding its social media messaging.

Gone are communication pro Price Floyd, who left in August, and technology exec Sumit Agarwal, who left in November. Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public AFfairs Douglas Wilson decided not to replace Agarwal, Wired reports.

Instead — rather than a single person — the 100 people Wilson oversees will be sending on tweets and posting to Facebook.