In the USA, criminal liability may be introduced for transmitting confidential information through messengers
Democrats in the US Congress have proposed making the transmission of classified state information through unprotected messengers a criminal offense. This was reported by Axios.
Secret chat controversy
This initiative emerged after it was revealed that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, participated in a secret chat discussing US military strikes in Yemen. The easy access of journalists to classified information caused a significant political uproar.
In the chat, US Vice President Jay Di Vens, Pentagon chief Peter Hegseth, and the White House national security advisor Mike Waltz participated. The disclosure of military plans discussed through this channel posed a serious problem for the US government.
What does the bill entail?
Congress member Richie Torres proposed a bill to strengthen accountability for public officials who disseminate classified information through unprotected messaging applications.
According to the proposal, for such violations:
- Up to five years of imprisonment,
- A fine of up to $250,000 may be imposed.
Political implications
This incident has sparked significant debate in Washington. Mike Waltz admitted to joining a secret Signal chat about Yemen but did not consider it a serious violation. Nevertheless, Democrats are demanding strict punitive measures to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.
If the bill is passed, public officials and military leaders in the USA will be required to transmit classified information only through government-approved secure communication channels.
This situation has brought the issue of balancing freedom of speech and national security back to the forefront. The potential restriction of journalists' access to information is being criticized by some opposition politicians and media outlets.
Nonetheless, US officials emphasize that the illegal dissemination of classified state information could pose a serious threat to national security.
