Soumik Dey

Ahmedabad: Social networking websites might be a good tool for catching up with old mates but even casual conversations or sharing of a photo on these portals, as being done by some of Army officers, are turning into a nightmare for intelligence agencies.

Intelligence officials say the practice may lead to unwarranted disclosure of classified information.

An incident of a young flying officer at the Jamnagar base uploading a photograph of his while posing in front of a MIG fighter plane on a social-networking website has caused concerns among defence ministry officials.

The officials have asked the military intelligence to conduct a background check on the officer.

Sources in the ministry of external affairs, Delhi, confirmed to DNA that the trend of using social networking sites catching up fast among young officials was having a negative impact on issues related to internal security.

"This is a serious cause for concern. Though in some specific cases, efforts have been made to set things right after agencies noticed some army personnel disclosing classified information through these websites," said an MEA official, requesting anonymity.

"You might be a young army captain and disclose the location of your unit in a board message to your school mate back home, but the message could well meet more eyes than just your friend's," the official says.

He feels that the practice could reveal details about movement, acquisition of new equipment and other classified information as intelligence agencies are now out tracking conversations by men in uniform at these social networking sites.

"What seems as a casual conversation can well court a lot of trouble for us. Pak intelligence and other intelligence agencies keep an eye to know movements and positioning of Indian forces. And in the internet age it is easy to coin a phrase and find all related conversations on a topic," responded an army colonel at the 11 division in Gujarat.

Military intelligence units in more than one army command are learnt to have been asked by RAW to conduct covert background checks on certain young officers who are disclosing information.

While most of these activities like putting up one's uniformed photograph or a photograph with his flying machine in the background do not qualify as offences under the Official Secrets Act, defence analysts feel that the problem is a mere lack of proper grooming of some young officers.

"It could be a sentimental issue for me to put up my uniformed photograph for my girlfriend to check out, but my profile could be visited by others too. And once I have declared my unit or brigade and mentioned my current location, the game is up! The entire unit movement can be traced by regularly tracking just one orkut profile," says Kapil Chandni of Bharat-Rakshak web forum.

"In our forum we can ensure that any dubious characters are kept out as it is not an open forum. Moreover, most people have the maturity not to disclose any sensitive information. Such checks are hardly possible on an Orkut or Facebook forum," adds Chandni.

Asked about the kind of disciplinary action initiated against any force personnel for such offences, Brigadier incharge of military intelligence at army's southern command headquarters in Pune, B S Borthakur, responded, "We can intervene and assess violations as specified in the official secrets act but beyond that, selfdiscipline and an ocassional rap from the commanding officer is enough to discourage such carelessness," he said.

Source : DNA