government secrecy
Official information hiding
Government secrecy is the practice of withholding information from public view, typically justified by national security, diplomatic sensitivity, or law enforcement needs.
Democracies struggle with its boundaries—how much secrecy is legitimate versus how much shields misconduct from accountability.
The scandal revealed decades of government secrecy around the surveillance program.
Related terms include classified, redacted, and freedom of information.
- classifiedRestricted from disclosure
- classified informationSensitive, access-restricted material
- redactedOfficially removed from view
- covertIntentionally concealed
- black siteSecret extrajudicial detention facility
hidden · behind closed doors · confidential · need to know · whistleblower · leak · surveillance · clearance · blackout · coverup · censored · intelligence · sealed · restricted · clandestine · shadowy · documents · informant
government secrecytransparency
State of being see-through
government transparency · open government · public disclosure · freedom of information · declassification
government secrecypublic scrutiny
Widespread critical attention
government accountability · press freedom · investigative journalism · congressional oversight · judicial review
government, governments, governmental, govern, governs, governed, governing, governor, governors