The US military network has blocked access to a number of mainly entertainment and e-Commerce websites to clear bandwidth so that it could be better used on Japan’s recovery efforts.
A devastating earthquake struck Japan last week which was followed by a tsunami, causing the phone lines to crash. The Internet has subsequently become the most important means of communication in the country.
A military spokesperson said the move is to make sure bandwidth was available in Japan for military operations.
"We are doing this to facilitate the recovery efforts under way in Japan," the spokesperson said.
"We are trying to make sure we are giving them as many avenues and as much support as we can."
Blocked websites include YouTube, eBay, Amazon, ESPN, Google Video, Doubleclick, Eyewonder, Pandora, StreamTheWorld, MTV, iFilm, MySpace and Metacafe. Facebook and Twitter have been exempted from the ban.
The military said that if needed more sites may be added in the list.
The Pentagon said the ban does not target any particular site, but has been imposed as per the requirement.
It said that the precautionary measure was "in response to the needs of the military in a time of extreme demand on all circuits and networks in a region of the world that has been devastated by geological activity."
Meanwhile Japan’s Prime Minister has launched a Twitter account @JPN_PMO in English for quake updates that will tweet translations from the Japanese disaster information account @Kantei_Saigai.
