Israeli soldier makes Facebook screwup
All of us need to be aware of what information we’re revealing on social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. But some need to be more aware than others. Like, I don’t know, soldiers for instance. Soldiers about to embark on a supposedly surprise raid.
According to The New York Times, an Israeli raid on suspected militants in a West Bank village near Ramallah had to be called off after one of the soldiers embarking on the mission mentioned it on Facebook. He updated his profile saying:
On Wednesday we clean up Qatanah, and on Thursday, god willing, we come home.
Oops. That really wasn’t such a good idea now, was it.
The Facebook update was spotted, the raid was canceled, and the soldier was court-martialed and sentenced to 10 days in prison. I doubt he’ll be able to update his Facebook from his cell.
This incident came just a few days after the U.S. Department of Defense informed its staff that they were free to use social networking sites. So I wouldn’t be surprised if an American soldier follows the example set by his Israeli counterpart and reveals something they shouldn’t. Surely it’s just a matter of time.
Related Posts:
