Stricter social media rules for DoD officials aim to prevent snafus

For the first time ever, the Defense Department has put out social media guidance governing its widespread official accounts, as platforms like Twitter and Facebook are increasingly used to send out messages for both service members and the general public.

At the same time, some mishandling of accounts ― whether that was accidental use or inappropriate posting on an account affiliated with a command ― has gotten the services and DoD in hot water.

The new policy, released Monday, discourages military public affairs personnel from editorializing official social media posts. And even though it’s been common practice in the past, the new policy lets all spokespeople know that simply throwing “views do not reflect DoD” in a private account bio is not enough.

“If social media is mismanaged or mishandled, the U.S. Government’s reputation with the American public; relationships with interagency, international, State, local, and tribal entities; military operations; and reputation for a high ethical and professional standard may be compromised,” according to the policy. “DoD social media content can be consumed by any audience, intended or unintended, foreign or domestic.”

Public affairs personnel running official accounts are discouraged from posting or commenting anything that isn’t a vetted release, staying away from any flair.