Born secret

Born secret (also born classified) is a legal doctrine in the United States under which certain information is automatically classified from the moment it is created, regardless of the author or location. Scholars describe born‑secret provisions as unique in U.S. law because they criminalize discussion of information that is already publicly available.

The rule originated in statutes covering the design, production, and use of nuclear weapons, though it can also encompass other nuclear ideas and related technologies. The United States Department of Energy has called the doctrine “very controversial.”