Air Force Blocks New York Times, 25 Other News Sites from Computers

Thursday, December 16, 2010
Unlike other branches of the military, the U.S. Air Force has decided to block all of its personnel from accessing media websites that published classified documents exposed by WikiLeaks. The Air Force says it is preventing computer users from viewing more than 25 websites, including The New York Times, Britain’s Guardian, Spain’s El Pais, France’s Le Monde and the German magazine Der Spiegel.
 
Any personnel using an Air Force computer to access these sites gets a message warning, “ACCESS DENIED. Internet Usage is Logged & Monitored.”
 
The decision was made despite the fact that Air Force personnel can still view the websites by using non-service computers, such as those at home, to read the WikiLeaks files.
 
The Army, Navy and Marines are reportedly not blocking websites with the WikiLeaks material, because the Obama administration and the Department of Defense already have instructed government employees and military personnel not to read the secret cables and other classified documents unless they possess the necessary security clearance to do so.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
 
Air Force Blocks Media Sites (by Spencer Ante and Julian Barnes, Wall Street Journal)
Air Force Blocks Sites That Posted Secret Cables (by Eric Schmitt, New York Times)

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