The Department of Defense has implemented a temporary suspension of all official social media activities, with exceptions for posts that support the objectives of the second Trump administration regarding the southern border or provide informational updates, as reported by three U.S. defense officials.
According to these officials, an official memorandum outlining the guidelines was disseminated on Friday; however, service members and non-military personnel were informed through informal communication to refrain from posting on X, previously known as Twitter,
or providing updates on any other official social media platforms commencing Thursday. By the time the memorandum was issued, several DoD social media accounts had already ceased activity.
This social media hiatus is scheduled to remain in effect until February 3.
In addition to the specified exceptions for content pertaining to the southern border, the Department of Defense has authorized personnel to re-share announcements from the official White House account and to disseminate updates related to various subjects, including base operations, road closures, clinic and school delays, as well as recruitment efforts.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced a temporary pause on social media postings across its platforms, with the exception of content related to U.S. military operations along the U.S.-Mexico border.
This directive was initially reported by NewsNation.
According to a senior defense official, the DoD is taking this time to review its social media programming in line with President Trump’s priorities focusing on military readiness, lethality, and warfighting capabilities.
It was emphasized that this pause does not pertain to current border security operations, which were recently announced by Acting Secretary of Defense Robert G. Salesses.
As of Friday afternoon, the directive had not yet been published on the agency’s official website.
The pause is applicable to all social media platforms, with the agency indicating that exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for emergency situations or important command information.
The suspension of new posts is expected to last until President Trump’s nominee for the defense secretary is confirmed and provides further instructions.
While social media accounts will remain active and past content will not be deleted, no new updates will be made until directed by the newly confirmed defense secretary.
For instance, the 88th Air Base Wing has announced on X that it will adhere to this new DoD policy by pausing its social media activity.
