The U.S. Department of Defense says it will begin blocking the use of its computers and networks to access some popular websites on the Internet.
A memo from the U.S. forces commander in Korea, General B.B. Bell, says the Pentagon will block access to sites like YouTube and MySpace, along with some other video and photo-sharing services and social networking sites.
The Pentagon says the ban is needed because recreational traffic to the websites slows down official Defense Department networks and poses a significant security challenge.
The access restrictions will only affect Defense Department equipment. Members of the U.S. military can still access the websites on their own computers and networks, although Pentagon computers are the only ones available to many troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
