Secrets and espionage laws
Laws that make it a crime to obtain, keep or disclose information a government has classified as secret, such as the Espionage Act, a 1917 United States law against disclosing defence information, or the Official Secrets Acts of the United Kingdom. Governments use them to prosecute journalists or, more often, the officials who gave journalists information.
2 recorded incidents in 2 countries; the earliest in the record is dated October 10, 2013.
Incidents by country and year
Hong Kong (1)
| Date | Incident | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 15, 2025 | China (Hong Kong): conviction and 20-year sentence of the media owner Jimmy Lai under the National Security Law, 2025 to 2026 | John Lee | Sustained (February 8, 2026) |
United States (1)
| Date | Incident | Head of government | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 10, 2013 | United States: Espionage Act prosecutions of sources for leaks to the press, 2009 to 2013 | Barack Obama | Unknown |