A new policy released Friday by the Department of Defense has reversed multiple bans on social media websites effective immediately, including YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other social tools.

This is a great step towards bringing families and friends closer to their loved ones overseas as more and more communication takes place over these channels – especially Facebook.  The new policy is far-reaching, but as NYT’s “At War” Blog points out, it isn’t without caveats.  Especially for the Department of Defense, it is hard to find a balance between security and information sharing and general conversation with friends and family.

The Department of Defense is not alone in this dilemma.  Many organizations and companies have been working to balance the same transparency yet security in establishing their own social media program.  Yet this policy reflects the ever-increasing importance of social media in the communications realm.

The Defense Department’s statement is a great platform for organizations hoping to delve into the world of social media.  It shows that organizations can embrace social media, while at the same time providing baseline rules to keep company strategy and goals on course.

So if you’re trying to keep up with a friend or family member overseas, this policy will definitely help, but citizens should not worry that national security secrets will live in the Twittersphere and beyond.

If interested, you can access the PDF of the new policy here.