Page "Gag order" Paragraph 0

A gag order ( also known as a gagging order or suppression order ) is an order, sometimes a legal order by a court or government, other times a private order by an employer or other institution, restricting information or comment from being made public, or in some cases, passed onto a third party, for the purpose of " hiding " or " covering up " or " white-washing " compromising, questionable, deceptive practices, fraud, or other illegal activities with the help of the legal process itself, or to protect the privacy of victims or minors.

Gag orders are most commonly used to conceal information from the public.

In some cases, gag orders may be used, for example, to keep legitimate trade secrets of a company.

Or, to protect the integrity of ongoing police or military operations.

Conversely, as their downside, they are often also abused as a useful tool for those of financial means to intimidate witnesses and prevent release of information in a legal fashion without resorting directly to violence, or other methods of more heightened intimidation.

Sometimes corporations or other entities of financial means will also use Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation ( SLAPP ) to prevent potential witnesses from speaking against them.