U.S. Navy orders removal of leadership portraits, biographies from public websites for security

Published Jul 17, 05:19 PM UTC

The U.S. Navy has issued an administrative message instructing commands led by vice admirals and officers of lower rank, including civilian equivalents, to remove portraits and biographies of leadership from public-facing websites. The decision, announced on July 17, 2026, aims to enhance security for sailors and their families by reducing the risk of adversaries aggregating publicly available data to track, profile, and target personnel. Affected roles include commanding officers, executive officers, chiefs of staff, and command master chiefs. Official flag and senior executive service biographies will remain on Navy and Secretary of the Navy websites, and internal non-public websites will continue to host such information. The policy does not apply to commands led by admirals.