U.S. Blocking Soldiers' Access to YouTube, Other Popular Sites

DENVER — The U.S. Department of Defense is blocking soldiers’ access to a handful of popular social networking and user-post sites — including YouTube and MySpace — under a new policy that took effect Monday.

In a Defense Department memo obtained by XBIZ, General Burwell “BB” Bell, commander of U.S. forces for Korea, states that the Defense “has a growing concern” regarding the use of its unclassified Internet, known as the NIPRNET.

The primary sources of concern for the Defense Department are wasted resources and potential security lapses, according to Bell’s memo.

“The Commander of the DoD’s Joint Task Force, Global Network Operations (JTF-GNO) has noted a significant increase in use of DoD network resources tied up by individuals visiting certain recreational Internet sites,” Bell wrote. “This recreational traffic impacts our official DoD network and bandwidth availability, while posing a significant operational security challenge.”

Under the new policy, the Defense Department is blocking “worldwide access” to YouTube.com, 1.fm, Pandora.com, PhotoBucket.com, MySpace.com, Live365.com, Hi5.com, Metacafe.com, MTV.com, iFilm.com, BlackPlanet.com, StupidVideos.com and FileCabi.com.

Major Bruce Mumford, brigade communications officer for the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, told Forbes.com that he thinks blocking such sites is just good military policy.

“The U.S. Army’s not going to pay the bill for you to get on MySpace and YouTube,” Mumford said. “Soldiers need to know what they can and cannot do, but we shouldn’t be facilitating it.”

The access policy will affect only Defense Department computers and will not apply to the computers soldiers keep at home, Bell stated in the memo, although he cautioned soldiers to take appropriate precautions from home, as well.

“[If] you access such sites using your personal home computer, you should exercise caution in forwarding any links from these sites to DoD computers or networks,” Bell wrote. “To do so could compromise OPSEC [operational security] and create an opportunity for hacking and virus intrusion.”

Bell also cautioned Defense Department personnel to “always be alert to protecting sensitive, unclassified information” whether surfing the net from home or from their Defense Department-owned computers, and to keep in mind other forms of risk inherent to the Internet environment.

“This benefits not only you, your fellow servicemembers and civilian employees, but preserves our vital networks for conducting official DoD business in peace and war,” Bell wrote. “You should also be mindful of the risk of identity theft that these sites pose and protect yourself and your family.”

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Roxie Rae Relaunches Site Through XSiteAbility

Roxie Rae has relaunched her site through XSiteAbility.

Federal Appeals Court Vacates FTC 'Click to Cancel' Rule Pending Review

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit on Tuesday vacated the Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions, pending further review.

NYC Adult Stores Lose Challenge to Zoning Law, May Face Relocation

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit on Tuesday upheld a lower court’s decision to allow enforcement of a 2001 zoning law aimed at forcing adult retail stores out of most parts of New York City.

FSC Drops Florida AV Lawsuit in Wake of SCOTUS Decision

A U.S. district court judge granted on Tuesday a motion by Free Speech Coalition to dismiss the trade association’s lawsuit over Florida’s age verification law, a case that had been on hold pending the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the constitutionality of state AV laws.

Ukrainian President Responds to Porn Legalization Petition

President Volodymyr Zelensky responded Tuesday to an OnlyFans model’s petition to decriminalize pornography in Ukraine, stating that he would wait for the legislative process to play out “in accordance with established procedure.”

Only Tax Deductions Joins Pineapple Support as Sponsor

Adult industry accounting firm Only Tax Deductions has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Adult Empire Launches 'Conversations' Podcast Series

Adult Empire has launched a new official podcast series hosted by Nicole Chappelle and Charlie.

Sex Work CEO Launches 'Teams Plan' for AI Assistant

Sex Work CEO has introduced the new Teams Plan for its AI-powered, NSFW text generator, GPTease.

2025 XBIZ Amsterdam Website Launches With Call for Speakers

XBIZ is pleased to announce that the website for its annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam, is now live.

NC Governor Vetoes Bill Targeting Adult Industry, Override Possible

North Carolina Governor Josh Stein today vetoed a bill imposing new regulations that adult industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most adult creators and content.

Show More