MoD bans soldiers from blogging

Friday, 10 August 2007 12:00 AM

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced new restrictions, preventing serving personnel discussing issues with the media and online community.

The guidelines, seen by the Guardian, impose a ban on blogging, surveys, public speaking, bulletin board posting, multi-player video games and text and photo messaging about anything that discusses defence, without the permission of a superior.

The restrictions extend the present Queen's Regulations, which stipulate personnel cannot speak to the media without permission but leave them free to blog or debate online.

Circulated last week, the guidelines say: "All such communication must help to maintain, and where possible, enhance the reputation of defence".

Serving military personnel will also be banned from receiving payment for books, media interviews or conferences.

The regulations apply not just to soldiers, sailors and airmen, but also the TA and cadets as well as MoD civil servants.

A MoD spokesman said the new guidelines were an attempt to update the guidelines rather than impose a far-reaching gagging order.

However, the regulations have provoked criticism among some military personnel.

Concerns have been raised that the restrictions will allow the MoD to suppress alleged abuse cases. Personnel have been banned from releasing video footage, photo images or audio recording, which previously have been used as the basis for abuse investigations in Iraq.

Human rights lawyers said the restriction could violate service personnel's freedom of expression, which is enshrined under article 10 of the Human Rights Act.

The MoD's director general of media communications, Simon McDowell, told the Guardiam the MoD was not trying to censure its employees.

He said: "We are trying to give straightforward, clear guidance that is up to date. The existing regulations were confusing and didn't include things like accepting payment. It applies to communicating about defence matters, not personal things.

"Particular things can impact on operational security; information which somebody can get a hold of. Even a little photograph sent from Afghanistan on a mobile phone could endanger people's lives and break operational security."

He added: "It is not gagging. It is setting out procedures so people know what the rules are."

The guidelines were issued by the directorate of communication planning as part of the MoD's response to the HMS Cornwall fiasco, which saw serving naval personnel sell their stories to the media.

Mr McDowell said the guidelines meant there was "now far less of a chance of having the kinds of mishaps that we had in Iran".

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• armed forces
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• defence
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• foreign policy