Pentagon introduces new restrictions on cellphone use
Washington, May 23: The US Department of Defense has introduced a new policy setting more restrictions for cellphones as well as some electronic devices in Pentagon areas designated for processing, handling or discussing classified information, according to a Pentagon memo released on Tuesday.
However, the Pentagon will continue to allow cellphones to be brought into the building after a months-long review on the issue, Xinhua reported.
The memo, signed by Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, notes that cellphones can still be used in common areas and other Pentagon offices if classified information is not present.
It also appears to make clear the current practice that requires phones be left in "daily-use storage containers that are located outside the secure space" where sensitive materials are handled or discussed.
The new rules, which take effect immediately and must be fully implemented within six months, apply to the Defense Department's personnel, contractors and visitors and cover "laptops, tablets, cellular phones, smart watches, and other devices" that are portable, can wirelessly transmit information and have "a self-contained power source."
The policy doesn't apply to any "mobile devices that have minimal storage and transmission capabilities such as key fobs used for medical alert, motor vehicles, or home security systems." according to the memo.
It also doesn't apply to "fitness trackers that do not contain camera, microphone, cellular, or Wi-Fi technology," but those devices will be addressed in still under development policy.
Medical devices with cellular technology, meanwhile, must be approved on a case-by-case basis.
The memo notes several exceptions, including the use of government-issued cellphones by senior officials in secure spaces if the camera, microphone and wireless capabilities are turned off.
Pentagon launched a review on the use of cellphones in January after GPS reporting company Strava published a global heat map based on user exercise routes. The map showed running routes of soldiers on remote and classified US military bases.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Assam to lift all cases against Koch Rajbongshis in Foreigners' Tribunals: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati, Apr 4 (PTI): The Assam cabinet has decided to lift all cases pending against people from the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Foreigners' Tribunals, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
They will also no longer carry the tag of 'D' or doubtful voters, he said.
''There are 28,000 cases pending in different Foreigners' Tribunals in the state against people of the community. The cabinet has taken a historic decision of lifting the cases with immediate effect,'' Sarma said at a press conference here after the cabinet meeting.
The government believes that the Koch Rajbongshis are an indigenous community of the state and they are an inextricable part of ''our social and cultural fabric'', he asserted.
The people of this community are poor and have suffered a lot over the years, he said.
''They will no longer carry the tag of foreigners or ‘D’ voters,'' the CM said.
Foreigners Tribunals are quasi-judicial bodies, particularly in Assam, established to determine if a person residing in India is a "foreigner" as defined by the Foreigners Act of 1946, based on the Foreigners (Tribunals) Order of 1964.
These tribunals are designed to address matters related to citizenship and the presence of “foreigners” in India, specifically focusing on cases where someone is suspected of being an illegal immigrant.
There are 100 Foreigners’ Tribunals across Assam.
The Koch Rajbongshis have a sizeable presence in Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya, and parts of Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan, and they demand Scheduled Tribe status.
