The U.S. Air Force Academy aims to hire a contractor that can closely monitor popular social media platforms for posts and content that violate national laws and its official policies — or display potential hate speech, misinformation, disinformation, or harassment of or by its cadets.
Interested vendors are invited to respond by Friday to a solicitation, which details a need “to combat cadet conduct in digital mediums” that might negatively disrupt the institution and broader Air Force initiatives.
“The U.S. Air Force Academy is seeking assistance to prevent harmful online activities. Our goal is to advance cadet character and leadership development in preparation for their service to the nation in this digital age. This contract will allow us to capture trends on social media sites to avert potential negative impacts on the Academy’s climate and culture,” a USAFA spokesperson told DefenseScoop.
Documents attached to the notice detail multiple objectives academy leadership would like to see the chosen contractor meet.
They include: compiling a detailed, initial report of current USAFA cadet social media usage and issues; drafting a comprehensive new social media policy; supplying in-person or virtual training; and continuously reporting any violations of cadet policies on certain platforms.
While the solicitation also explicitly calls out YouTube and TikTok, it states that the academy “needs immediate support for monitoring” Jodel, an app where users can anonymously post blurbs and media that can be viewed by others nearby.
Among other responsibilities listed in the notice, the tapped vendor and its team would need to work with Jodel officials to “identify and de-anonymize users at or associated with USAFA that violate United States laws, rules, and regulations.” . . . (read more on Defense Scoop)
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