If I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for someone that's a secret I want protected, but only till after the party. But the government would keep that a secret forever, at great cost to the taxpayer. The system is broken.
The originator of a classified document can set a declassification date up to 25 years from the document's classification date. If no date is set, the document automatically declassifies in 10 years.
Two exceptions to the above: 1) declassification identifies human sources or facilitates the development of weapons of mass destruction and 2) "exceptional" need to protect information outweighs the public interest.
The President and Congress can also declassify stuff, but it's a process not just a waving of the hands.
If I'm throwing a surprise birthday party for someone that's a secret I want protected, but only till after the party. But the government would keep that a secret forever, at great cost to the taxpayer. The system is broken.
ReplyDeleteThe originator of a classified document can set a declassification date up to 25 years from the document's classification date. If no date is set, the document automatically declassifies in 10 years.
ReplyDeleteTwo exceptions to the above: 1) declassification identifies human sources or facilitates the development of weapons of mass destruction and 2) "exceptional" need to protect information outweighs the public interest.
The President and Congress can also declassify stuff, but it's a process not just a waving of the hands.