Ministry of Defence warn that careless tweets cost lives

The Ministry of Defence has issued "Careless talk costs lives"-style public information videos on YouTube, warning servicemen and women and their families of the security risks involved in using social networking websites.



On its blog site, the MoD has issued an accompanying article about personal security online, saying "Social networking sites are great for keeping in touch with family and friends, and letting the world know what you’re up to", and emphasising that they "encourage the safe and responsible use of social networking sites."

However, they also warn that there are people out there, ranging "from criminals looking for ways to con you or steal your identity, to those who may wish us harm", who will wish to misuse the information they post. They say: "This is why you need to be aware of how much information there is online about you. Not just that which you’ve put there yourself, but also that which other people or organisations have put there.


YouTube link. Video 2.

"You need to be especially careful if you have identified yourself as being a member of the military or an MOD civilian. It can be simple to collate information from various sources in order to build up a picture of who a person is. Similarly it might only take one careless comment, or posting a picture without checking what’s in the background to put friends and colleagues at risk."