Don't watch porn on Facebook, Army tells troops

CHANDIGARH: Don't watch porn on Facebook or any other social networking site and don't accept friend requests from unknown people. This may sound like an advisory to an underage user of social networking sites but is in fact part of a 10-point detailed list of digital do's and don'ts that the Army has issued to their personnel and their family members.

The advisory comes immediately after airman Ranjith KK was arrested on December 28 from Bathinda for sharing sensitive details about air bases with a pretty woman on Facebook. He thought the woman was a journalist in the UK when she was in fact a member of a spy ring. As TOI reported on Sunday, Ranjith had visited the Pathankot air force station recently and shared the details with the woman operative.

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The advisory, issued on December 31 by the general services (intelligence), has been sent to all the units, sub units and formations of the Army to save them from being ensnared through social media. The soldiers have also been told not to use their photographs in uniform on their WhatsApp profiles. Also, photos with anything related to the bases and weapons should not be posted online.

The defence personnel have been told not to click any advertisements announcing alluring prizes or awards on social networking sites.

While there is already complete ban on disclosing the name, rank, place of posting and name of battalion or unit for soldiers on such sites, the army has also asked family members of soldiers too not to share information on their accounts. A senior officer of the Western Command told TOI that the advisory has been issued "to sensitize the troops about the latest modus operandi of the anti-nationals to steal vital information".

Ranjith KK, a leading aircraftman, was arrested in a joint operation of Delhi police, military intelligence and air force liaison unit. Deceived by a cyber-entity called Damini McNaught, he had passed on information on recent IAF exercises, movement of aircraft and deployment of IAF units.