Army Cracks Down on Soldiers' Blogs

The Army has issued stricter rules on soldiers writing blogs, requiring them to first have their superior officer clear the content before it is posted, Wired news reports.

The rules, obtained by Wired, also apply to civilians working for the Army, contractors and soldiers' families. The Army fears that soldiers may inadvertently give away military secrets and strategy in their blogs.

Wired quotes experts saying the new rules may end soldiers' blogs, some of which have been considered fresh and insightful looks into the Iraq War. According to Wired:

Military officials have been wrestling for years with how to handle troops who publish blogs. Officers have weighed the need for wartime discretion against the opportunities for the public to personally connect with some of the most effective advocates for the operations in Afghanistan and Iraq -- the troops themselves. The secret-keepers have generally won the argument, and the once-permissive atmosphere has slowly grown more tightly regulated. Soldier-bloggers have dropped offline as a result.