For the national security and social media communities, a delicate relationship persists

At the White House and the National Security Council, most staffers are not permitted to access Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites from their office computers or government-issued mobile phones. Administration officials said the restrictions are aimed at preventing staffers from downloading dangerous malware onto government networks or accidentally uploading sensitive material onto public networks.

The rules also serve to discourage White House aides from conducting business on networks that will not archive their communications as required under the Presidential Records Act. Only those staffers who need access as part of their official responsibilities, such as the press division, are permitted to log in from the office, said White House spokesman Eric Schultz, who is among the few with an official Twitter account. But the restrictions have run into the realities of the modern world, in which news often breaks first on social networks while public officials, journalists and policy experts debate the ramifications in real time. Administration officials often find themselves out of the loop, unable to react to the news or take part in the conversation.