DENVER (AP) - Soldiers serving overseas are losing some of their online links to friends and family back home under a Department of Defense policy that an Army official said formally takes effect on Monday.

The Defense Department is blocking access “worldwide” to YouTube, MySpace and 11 other popular Web sites on its computers and networks, according to a memo sent Friday by Gen. B.B. Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea commander.

The policy is being implemented to protect information and reduce drag on the department’s networks, according to Bell.

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