The Israel Defense Forces is on its way of passing official rules and regulations specifying the restrictions and acceptable behaviour of its soldiers on their social media accounts, local newspaper Harretz, reported. The said announcement was made after four female soldiers gained international media attention, to the embarrassment of the institution, when they posted racy photos of themselves to Facebook.

According to the announcement, soldiers who were assigned to take on highly classified positions will be "forbidden from opening profiles on Facebook or any other social network."

On the other hand, other IDF members, such as pilots, intelligence officers and soldiers assigned in sensitive units will be forced to follow strict limitations with their social media accounts. Such limitations include hiding their identities as soldiers, not uploading photos wearing uniform and should not be tagged in similar photos. Also, they are prohibited to use "check-in" apps that may reveal their actual location.

The rules and regulations on using the social media accounts will also be enforced on career soldiers who are already holding significant ranks. The IDF, however, is still contemplating whether high-ranking officials such as majors and lieutenant colonels will be included in the prohibitions.

The draft of the said rules and regulations state that "IDF Information Security Department will monitor social networks and ensure that military personnel are observing the new restrictions. Unit commanders will also have the power to increase the severity of the regulations."

Similar rules and regulations prohibiting soldiers from using social networks were already being implemented in some units of the IDF. The Shayetet 13 naval commando unit had compelled its soldiers to deactivate their Facebook profiles.

Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gants said that the official draft of the rules and regulations is going to be released by the end of this month. The draft to be released will "be a binding operational directive until it has been officially approved by the General Staff.

The IDF originally planned to impose the prohibitions even to senior reserve officers but had decided otherwise because they deem that social networks are important to civilian life.

According to a senior officer in the Operations Directorate, "Social networks are a means of communication and a means of creating experiences today, we don't intend on making the army impenetrable or shady, but we know there is potential for harm."

The officer added that "majority of intelligence information collected against senior officers in the IDF is taken from social networks."

In months that had passed, the IDF was able to find out a fictitious Facebook account posing as soldier official Benny Gantz and one battalion commander. Although the fictitious accounts were unsuccessful to collect classified information, the possibility of information thief was imminent.

Meanwhile, as the four female soldiers continue to receive reprimands and backlash, one blogger named Liel Leibovitz said that these women gave a jolt of optimism.

According to the blogger, "Generations of IDF soldiers thought and acted in unorthodox ways, carrying Israel through grim times. By posing as they did, the young women showed that they possess the potential to do the same. They are not risk averse. They're driven by the same wild, hormonal, adolescent energy that had given Israel its greatest soldiers. I imagine them, a few more months into their service, posing tough questions to their commander, maybe even becoming officers themselves and insisting on change. It's time for a new generation to shed their prejudices and help rescue Israel. And if it to do that shirts and pants should occasionally be shed as well, so be it."