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On the blocking of You Tube, My Space, etc, by DoD.

By The Armorer on May 17, 2007 | | Comments (4)

This is their official position. I have, um, some specific and germane knowledge regarding this action on the part of DoD. Not the decision making process on this particular topic, but regarding the underlying data that helped feed this decision. Which is all I will say about it.

And I support it. The fact that it does inconvenience deployed warriors notwithstanding, I fully support this action by DoD in managing their networks. You'll just have to take me at my word, and bear in mind I'm a milblogger too, and have not been supportive of efforts by DoD to micromanage info flow while at the same time clumsily fighting the Infowar. But on this particular topic - I support 'em.



NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 601-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Department Takes Steps to Ensure DoD Computer Networks Available for Operations

To ensure DoD networks are available for combat operations and critical support activities, the Department issued a directive May 14 that prohibits DoD computers from accessing specific recreational web sites.The measure preserves military bandwidth for operational missions and enhances DoD computer network security.

The selection of these particular sites was based on the volume of traffic moving from official DoD networks to the Internet. The sites include:YouTube; 1.fm; Pandora; MySpace; PhotoBucket; Live365; hi5; Metacafe; MTV; ifilm.com; Blackplanet; stupidvideos; and filecabi. additional sites may be added in the future as part of ongoing efforts to ensure DoD networks have sufficient throughput available to conduct operational and supporting missions as well as enhance DoD network security. [And they most certainly will, as users flex to different sites in order to get around the blocks. It'll keep NETCOM busy. -the Armorer]

This directive does not prohibit any individual, including DoD personnel or their families, from posting to or accessing these sites from personal or commercial network providers; it only restricts the use of DoD computer network resources to access these sites.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, many of these sites as well as others have been blocked by DoD for more than two years, some for as long as four years. Consequently, this directive does not prevent deployed DoD personnel from communicating with family members or loved ones.There are a wide variety of commercial communication services such as e-mail, telephone calls and video teleconferencing at many locations in Southwest Asia.In addition, the Army Knowledge online/Defense Knowledge Online network is available to military members and their families providing a rich information sharing environment, including email, file sharing (pictures, videos, and documents), discussion forums (blogging), instant messaging chatrooms, and video messaging.

Commercial Internet services are also provided by DoD Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities, which are widely available throughout Iraq and Afghanistan and are not affected by this directive.Deployed personnel can access recreational Internet web sites from Internet cafes and other facilities in many locations around the world.These alternative sites do not rely on military bandwidth.

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4 Comments

By ry on May 17, 2007 7:23 AM
Now that you mention other stuff I'm recalling other stuff too. Like how people using Grokster and other p2p music stuff opened up DoD 'puters to hackers and viruses. Yeah, this is sounding better to me--even if my fear of wanting to keep strategic corporals from doing antithetical stuff online isn't included in the decision. Check out the comments at Barkin' Arkin's Unreal.
 
By Oldloadr on May 17, 2007 7:51 AM
I can tell you all, from personal experience, that bandwidth is an issue in the AOR, especially in Iraq (and I assume, Afghanistan) since most communication goes through satellite uplinks there are definite choke points on the war-zone information super-highway. Add to this the fact that CENTCOM runs to systems itself (SIPR & NIPR) and that everyone wants to get video files up and it is a problem. I’ll grant that the fix could be swatting mosquitoes with a sledge hammer, but I have seen, first hand, that bandwidth is a finite resource in the AOR. ry- It would not suit Arkin’s point to mention the existence of AKO or AF Portal, would it? Not to mention, there are few restrictions on sending unofficial e-mails on Outlook from a military computer. I’m sure there are those who may think there is an added bonus in having more restrictions on what sites DoD personnel can peruse, but that happens in corporate America, as well.
 
By Trias on May 18, 2007 12:47 AM
My tinfoil hat must be malfunctioning because this is probably just as it appears. An attempt to salvage bandwidth of which youtube and friends are insatiable pigs of. So much so i have had to restrict it in my own house. What probably happened because we all know government style admin is normally molasses slow is this has long been an issue then some military op needed the bandwidth and there was a major feckup because it wasn't there. There are ways around this of course but in practice only some do that. They will get their bandwidth improvement.
 
By John of Argghhh! on May 18, 2007 7:54 AM
What's funny about this, Trias - is that most of the tinfoil hatting on the issue has come from the Left. Probably because they see it as blocking one of the ways they get to the troops. Occams Razor, fellas.