No more Social Networking for Indian Army

[Koovie]

No more Facebook or Orkut for our Army

The Indian Army is reported to have issued orders asking all its men, officers and other ranks, who had joined social networking sites like Facebook or Orkut earlier to immediately quit them. Those who have not joined such social networking sites have also been directed not to be available in such sites in future.

As per sources, Indian Army had been monitoring their officers if they were posting any pictures of themselves or their units in uniform or their weaponry. However it has now been decided that none of their men would be allowed to join such sites, so that there is no possibility of information leakage.

Strict actions are expected if any violations to this directive are done, sources stated.

No more Facebook for Indian Army

 

[Singh]

No more Facebook for Indian Army
​

The Indian Army is reported to have issued orders asking all its men, officers and other ranks, who had joined social networking sites like Facebook or Orkut earlier to immediately quit them. Those who have not joined such social networking sites have also been directed not to be available in such sites in future.

As per sources, Indian Army had been monitoring their officers if they were posting any pictures of themselves or their units in uniform or their weaponry. However it has now been decided that none of their men would be allowed to join such sites, so that there is no possibility of information leakage.

Strict actions are expected if any violations to this directive are done, sources stated.

No more Facebook for Indian Army

 

[Ray]

It was never encouraged even before.

The problem is that amongst some, they cannot suppress the 'Me Too' desires, leading to leaks.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

They will avoid posting Pics, But social network is something you connected to your friends and far relatives, Its a 21st century communication, If they are so much concenrn why not to make some social network 'Made in India' so that it can be moderated well, Not to mention good software for Vid chat and phone calls, So does games etc..

 

[Ray]

I don't think people will indulge any more on social networking since the consequence, if nabbed, will be serious and will jeopardise their career.

 

[H.A.]

Its not gonna help....They just need to be educated on what to say and what not to......

 

[Ray]

Its not gonna help....They just need to be educated on what to say and what not to......

That is the problem.

What can be said and what can't be said.

There are so many subjects that look innocuous and yet..........

For instance, what is such a secret about a photo of a bridge? Not much. It can also be seen in Google map.

However, to a Commando observing such a bridge from a photo and also having details of the specifications gleaned from someone innocently mentioning it in a social network, it assists him to plan its destruction in detail of the numbers required, the equipment required, explosive and type required and so on.

 

[H.A.]

That is the problem.
What can be said and what can't be said.
There are so many subjects that look innocuous and yet..........

Any clue on how the ban will be implemented...you just cannot say Abraca dabra and move you wagic wand and say Indian Army no more facebook for you....how is the Indian army going to monitor what is happening on facebook....

 

[Ray]

Any clue on how the ban will be implemented...you just cannot say Abraca dabra and move you wagic wand and say Indian Army no more facebook for you....how is the Indian army going to monitor what is happening on facebook....

Just that since an instruction has been issued, the violation will be a cognizable offence.

And counter intelligence will now be spreading its net far and wide in the electronic spectrum!

 

[H.A.]

Just that since an instruction has been issued, the violation will be a cognizable offence.

And counter intelligence will now be spreading its net far and wide in the electronic spectrum!

which means as a result the government will monitor everyone and anyone even though a person is not in the Indian Army, the excuse, for national security. I do understand the security part but i dont like that a person's private conversation with his wife or daughter or with a husband father etc. being monitored,,

 

[Ray]

I am not sure what the Govt will do, but as it is, even though it is not mentioned, I think the Govt is already at the game.

That is why you keep seeing uproars about how Govt has in an unauthorised manner tapped telephones of MPs etc.

Kapil Sibal pronouncements are very ominous!

 

[nrj]

Indian Army Bans Facebook

The Indian Army has reportedly asked all its personnel to quit social networking websites with immediate effect. It has directed them to refrain from joining social networking websites including Facebook, Orkut, and Google+ in future too. The move comes as an effort to "safeguard the well-being" of army personnel.

According to sources, the Indian Army had been monitoring the social networking activities of its officers to find out if they posted uniformed photos of themselves, weaponry, or other units for the past few months. It has now decided to issue a blanket ban on all such websites throughout the ranks. It is not yet clear if the army will rely on self-censorship to be practised by its men or if it will restrict access at its end. However, it has been said that violations to this directive will be dealt with strictly.

Incidentally, it is not only the Indian Army that has imposed such restrictions. A couple of days ago, US Army personnel were also advised by their top brass to exercise restraing in using FB. It has been posited that this information can be used by terrorist organisations such as Al Qaeda to target army units. They suggested certain strategies, duplicated below:

• Adjust the privacy settings to Only Me or Friends.
• Remove any personally identifiable data that gives away too much information about you or your family.
• Avoid sharing details about bases and capabilities by not posting photos of or details about formations, quarters, armoured vehicles, and \ or weapons.
• Disable the GPS feature on your mobile device or turn off tagging or tracking applications on your Facebook account that give your exact location.
• Educate yourself, your friends and your family about what is and isn't safe to share on Facebook or any other social networking platform.

These measures could also apply to the Indian armed forces in order to secure themselves against terrorist elements. Indeed, it would be a better way to go, rather than issuing a total ban on social networking. That being said, there is a difference between how the internet is viewed by both armies. This is evident from the fact that the US Army has an official FB page, while the Indian Army does not.

Indian Army Bans Facebook

 

[W.G.Ewald]

Military to troops: Cameras are OK, but be careful - Nation - NewsObserver.com

Today's troops have war relics, too: digital photos and videos with the potential to reach a vast audience.

"Oh yeah, I've got hundreds of 'em," said Army Spc. Bryan Bishop, a Florida native stationed at Fort Bragg. He was clicking on his laptop to open files of photos and footage he took during a year-long deployment to Iraq that started in 2009. "I put them up on Facebook and show them to family. People like to look at them."

Over the past decade, the ease with which soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines can collect and disseminate images from even the most forward bases in combat zones has become a benefit and a bane to the U.S. military. Improvements in technology made it easier for troops to collect their own photos and video and share them through the Internet with the rest of the world.

 

[lemontree]

Some officers behave like kids and the rest have to suffer. FB was a good way of staying in touch with your coursemates.

 

[Ray]

Some officers behave like kids and the rest have to suffer. FB was a good way of staying in touch with your coursemates.

That is the nub of the issue.

 

[H.A.]

i am a little confused....the other day Indian Naval officers were caught disclosing the exact location of IN ships, so Facebook should be banned for them. What happened within the Indian Army that led to this action, was this just a fallout of the Navy's revelations?

 

[lcatejas]

Its a good decision from mod :thumb:

 

[HeinzGud]

Indian army should introduce a system to soldiers to connect with their family members through internet... like Facebook but with army control...

 

[Ray]

Today anyone can contact their families over the mobile phone!

 

[Ray]

i am a little confused....the other day Indian Naval officers were caught disclosing the exact location of IN ships, so Facebook should be banned for them. What happened within the Indian Army that led to this action, was this just a fallout of the Navy's revelations?

Preventive action lest it also happen with the IA!