Maryland General Assembly bans legislators' access to Facebook, MySpace

The Maryland General Assembly has blocked all elected officials and staff from Facebook and MySpace - apparently the first legislature in the country to ban the popular online social networks. The block pertains to all computers running on the legislature's network, including the laptops lawmakers often use to surf the Web during lengthy bill hearings. "We realize that this may be an inconvenience and we apologize," Office of Legislative Information Systems Director Michael Gaudiello wrote in a note to the affected parties. "But it is essential that the integrity of the Maryland General Assembly computer systems and facilities are protected."

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