News

Tuesday, 02 March 2010 02:07

The US military personnel are finally allowed Internet access for keeping in touch with family and friends but are barred from gambling online.

It has been a long time coming, but the United States military have at last been granted the use of the Internet for its social capabilities. For so long, the armed forces have been wholly reliant on the postal system for keeping in contact with friends and family when stationed far away from home. In this day and age of global telephony and fast Internet connections, the Internet is the perfect way for staying in contact for those military personnel stationed overseas, most especially with the rise in popularity of the social media.

However, the Pentagon has only just outlined the details of its unified policy on the usage of the Internet within the military. Until now, each military branch was able to set guidelines on the way social media online could be used. While social media sites were banned by the Marine Corp in 2007, all branches are now unified under the same rules regarding Internet use. The regular military personnel are now permitted to make use of the Internet to keep in touch using social websites like Facebook or Twitter, but they are prohibited from using it for online gambling.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Information Technology, David M. Wennergren has said that the Internet and Web 2.0 provides incredible opportunities to collaborate. Not only does it promote the sharing of information with mission partners and across organizational boundaries, but it enables troops deployed overseas to stay in contact with loved ones and friends at home.

During their down time, gambling has been one of the ways troops have passed the time while they were away from home. While online gambling has grown enormously in popularity, the United States government has been actively attempting to prevent Internet gambling. This means that allowing troops stationed overseas access to online gambling sites was never going to be a possibility.

This decision has nothing to do with the current state of legality in the US with regards to Internet gambling, despite some drawing a parallel with the current stance on what the armed forces may or may not do while online. Gambling is not prohibited within the military, but a line has been drawn between what is seen as a recreational pastime and what is perceived as an antisocial and solitary activity to be discouraged.