Marines Can Now Wear Fitbits, Jawbone Ups More Places

Step-counters rejoice.

The Marine Corps this week pushed out new guidance that permits troops to wear their "personal wearable fitness devices" in most Marine Corps facilities.

These devices, including the popular Fitbit, Nike Fuel Band, and others, count steps and tally calorie burns and heart rate. They are now officially allowed in all Marine Corps spaces, including places where classified information is processed and discussed.

However, acceptable devices must comply with strict regulations, according to a Marine administrative message released May 27.

Permissible features for these devices include the following:

-Bluetooth

-GPS (receive-only)

-Accelerometer

-Altimeter

-Gyroscope

-Heart activity

-Vibration feature

-Near-field communication capabilities

Prohibited features include the following:

-Ability to accommodate third-party apps

-Cellular or Wi-Fi capabilities

-Photography, video capture/recording capabilities

-Microphone or audio recorder

The devices cannot be used with USB accessories in Marine Corps spaces either, or connected to government information systems, according to the message.

Marine commanders can determine exceptions to this policy, and post signs restricting the use of wearable fitness devices in certain areas, according to officials.