Born classified

Born secret (also known as born classified) is a legal doctrine in the United States where certain information is automatically classified from the moment it is created, regardless of author or location. Scholars describe the doctrine as unique in U.S. law because it can criminalize the discussion of information that is already publicly available. The rule originated in laws of the United States covering the design, production, and use of nuclear weapons, although it has also been used to classify other nuclear technologies and cryptography data. The United States Department of Energy has called the born secret doctrine controversial.