Criminal liability may be introduced in the US for transmitting confidential information via messengers

Democrats in the US Congress have proposed criminalizing the transmission of classified government information via unprotected messengers. This was reported by the Axios publication.

Secret chat scandal

The initiative arose after it was revealed that Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, had access to a secret chat where US military strikes in Yemen were discussed. The journalists' easy access to classified information caused a huge political uproar.

US Vice President Jay Dee Vance, Pentagon chief Peter Hegseth and White House national security adviser Mike Waltz participated in the chat. The disclosure of military plans discussed through this channel caused a serious problem for the American government.

What does the bill say?

Congressman Richie Torres has introduced a bill to increase the penalties for government employees who share classified information on unsecured messaging apps.

According to him, such violations could be punishable by:
- Up to five years in prison,
- Up to $250,000 in fines.

Political implications

The incident has sparked a heated debate in Washington. Journalist Mike Waltz admitted to joining a secret Signal chat about Yemen, but did not consider it a serious violation. However, Democrats are demanding tougher penalties to prevent such incidents from happening again.

If the bill is passed, U.S. civil servants and military leaders would be required to transmit classified information only through government-approved secure communication channels.

The move has once again raised the issue of balancing freedom of expression and national security. The potential restrictions on journalists' access to information have been criticized by some opposition politicians and media outlets.

However, US officials have stressed that the illegal release of classified government information poses a serious threat to national security. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”