Social Media Policy question

[birth control glasses]

I am not in the military but my dad was in the Air Force for 20 years. I have learned a few things over the years. I have a genuine question and I can't seem to find answers online. I'm really not trying to get anyone in trouble but I follow a person who is in Air Force training and they frequently post detailed pictures and descriptions about what they are working on. I am all for the person having pride in their job but something instinctually tells me that may be against the Air Force social media guidelines. It just seems like they are sharing information that shouldn't be so freely shared. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, maybe the rules have changed over the years and it's completely fine. I can't seem to find clear answers on Google. I have been wondering about this for over a year as I watch them share all this info. I truly believe in the concept loose lips sink ships. If anyone can please clarify if this is within the Air Force social media policies I would really appreciate it. To be quite frank it pisses me right off. It just doesn't seem right. I made an account only to ask this question so if I am completely off base (pun intended) forgive me.

 

[Zoomie]

Good question, welcome to army.ca

The answer is.... it depends.  Is this person deployed, posting sensitive information, releasing sensitive data about other people or anything along those lines?  If he/she is just taking pictures about their day at work - ie “Here’s the tank I was fixing today.” Or “Check out my haircut.” That would be acceptable.

 

[birth control glasses]

Thank you so much for responding! What raised my concern is that they are giving very detailed descriptions on how to build certain aircraft components and it seems to be getting more detailed as they advance. Perhaps they are so early on in their training they don't even have access to classified info. From what I recall my dad was under very strict guide lines as to what he could talk about with civilians and what he could not. They are not deployed yet, they have posted quite a few pictures of themselves in uniform and just the concept of them explaining how to make certain things in such detail just really does not sit well with me. It seems like the type of information they should only be discussing with colleagues not to the general public. I don't know if that counts as classified information or not. I feel like it's knowledge that is specific to the Canadian forces and to be posting it publicly is potentially more harmful than they may realize. It seems to be on a pattern of getting more and more detailed. I feel like if they were told the significance of it they would stop but I needed to fact check to be sure. I don't even think it's my place to tell them to stop I have just really wanted to clarify if my thoughts about it were accurate. If it is blatantly sharing classified information isn't that a criminal offense? I am proud that they are serving and I just don't want to see them get into trouble over something like this. It's on Facebook and Instagram and essentially anyone in the world could read it.

 

[garb811]

Why didn’t you just ask your dad instead?  You could show him your concerns and, even he has been out for awhile, he will have pretty good insight as to what is fine and what isn’t...

 

[birth control glasses]

Great question, I do not talk to my dad anymore and have not spoken to him in a few years. He was emotionally and verbally abusive to my siblings, my mother and I for years. I have theorized that he may suffer from PTSD and suffers from very severe depression, despite many years of trying to get him treatment he continuously refuses. So unfortunately it is not safe for me to be in contact with him at this point. If I was able to ask my dad do you not think that would have been the first thing I did? That being said, I still feel like my questions are valid and for my own knowledge I really wanted to ask about Air Force social media policies. Sorry to be so heavy but you asked.

 

[BeyondTheNow]

...If I was able to ask my dad do you not think that would have been the first thing I did?...

I’m sympathetic to your father’s condition and your strained relationship, but your above statement came off a bit impertinent.

You’ve been polite with your inquiries, and that’s very much appreciated by others on the board. However, you have to be aware that your particular type of query will be regarded with wariness by some given the user-base here, myself included. Whether intentional or not, you’ve been just vague enough to peak interest, yet not direct enough to give thorough and whole justification as to why this particular user of social media may be abusing their access to (possibly, and implied by you) sensitive material/information. That’s a bit problematic in terms of the willingness of others to intervene here.

Do you share other social media contacts with this individual? I’m guessing there would be at least a few other CAF members directly connected to the user’s profile(s) if they’re posting as much as you’ve explained, and for a decent amount of time. They would know (or at least have an idea) whether there’s been any direct contravention of policies/guidelines. You’ve also stated and/or implied the user’s content is readily available to the public. That would also potentially draw the attention of certain persons who would take appropriate action. (CAF indeed monitors and has taken action against members whose social media accounts have stepped over the line for various reasons.)

No one here can specifically say whether the individual has crossed any lines. If you’re unsure, I’d recommend speaking to the individual directly about your concerns. If they’re a part of your social media, I’d hope they’re, at the very least, an acquaintance that you could simply state, “Hey, I don’t know for sure, but from my POV, is there any chance someone might think you’re sharing too much?—‘Just looking out for you.”, or something to that effect. If they’re decent, at worst they’ll just come back with, “Naw, all’s good.” You’ve done your part, and if they are indeed posting content they shouldn’t be, then they’ll know they’re on someone’s radar and hopefully cease further activity.

If you’re not comfortable with that, then seek clarification/advice from a member who can equally view all the content you’ve been mentioning.

 

[birth control glasses]

Thank you so much for your detailed response, that pretty much answers everything I was wondering. I'm just going to let people in the military handle it and I'm not going to say anything. They of course are an acquaintance. I have just wondered about this for quite a while and it seems to be escalating. I believe consulting with a forum like this to ask questions and potentially educate myself rather than try to speak to them directly was the best idea. Also I was definitely not trying to come across as rude. My apologies. Thanks for everyone's time and responses. I have honestly tried to be as polite as possible. Thank you all for your service!