MOD Comment Policy
This extract is taken from the The Defence Online Engagement Guidelines
1. It is MOD policy to allow comments by external users on selected corporate and sponsored web presences where this supports wider Departmental objectives, for example by enabling better engagement with our readers.
2. We ask that comments by external users on official MOD presences follow the same guidelines as apply to our own staff when they use official IT. These internal MOD guidelines are set out in Joint Service Publication 740 (MOD IT Acceptable Use Policy), and are updated periodically.
3. In summary, these guidelines state that you must not knowingly transmit:
- offensive, indecent or obscene material or abusive images and literature
- material which can reasonably be considered as harassment of, or insulting to, other people or organisations;
- material obtained in violation of copyright or used in breach of a licence agreement;
- spam (electronic junk mail) or chain email;
- material that could, by their presence on an MOD website, reasonably be expected to embarrass or compromise the MOD (although comments that disagree with the MOD are allowed).
- commercial activities which are not connected to MOD business;
- any form of gaming, lottery or betting;
- any form of share dealing;
- offers of items for sale or bids on commercial auction sites;
- chain schemes (such as pyramid selling);
- material designed to mislead people about who originated or authorised it (e.g. through misuse of signatures);
- attempts to compromise MOD IT and Telecoms, prevent legitimate access to them, damage them or seek to cause degradation of performance or a denial of service;
- attempts to gain unauthorized access to MOD IT and Telecoms or content for which you do not have permission (i.e. Hacking);
- attempts to access, amend, damage, delete or disseminate another user’s files, emails, communications or data without the appropriate authority.
4. We will withhold, edit or remove any comments we judge do not follow these guidelines.
5. Opinions expressed in comments are those of the author not those of the MOD. The use of comments does not overwrite the existing, official channels by which the Ministry of Defence and the Armed Forces are held accountable to Parliament and to the Public. Nor does it affect your rights under the law, for example your right of access to official information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
6. We will respond directly to questions and queries online where an answer can be given quickly and simply. More difficult or detailed questions (for example, questions concerning policy issues or individual cases) should be referred to existing official channels of accountability, such as writing to your MP, asking a Defence Minister or making a Freedom of Information request. Press queries should be directed to the Defence Press Office.
7. The MOD reserves the right to ignore, limit or suspend comments or responses to comments, locally or universally and without prior notice, if we judge that these are becoming a waste of official funds, or Armed Forces’ or Civil Service time.