Official News page 10

REAL LIFE NEWS: FACEBOOK USED TO TRACK DRAFT DODGERS

by Hazed

Here's yet another example of how Facebook can drop you right in it. The Israeli army is using the social network service to hunt out draft dodgers.

Military service is compulsory for most Israelis over the age of 18, but one of the exemptions is for Orthodox, or religiously observant Jews. About 35% of Jewish women don't join the army for that reason - but the army suspects that many of them are lying and are, in fact, eligible to serve.

So they are checking up on the women, using their Facebook profiles. A senior officer said they had found examples of young women who had declared themselves exempt posting photos of themselves in immodest clothing, or eating in non-kosher restaurants. Others were caught by responding to party invites on Friday nights, the Jewish Sabbath.

Technically, lying in order to avoid military service is a criminal offence, but so far the army says it hasn't prosecuted anyone. I assume, however, the women have been made to serve their time.

The moral, as always, is to remember that what you post on Facebook hangs around forever and can be seen by everyone!

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