White House Proposes NDA for 2 Million Federal Workers as Trump Escalates Leak Crackdown
Updated
Updated · CNN · May 26
White House Proposes NDA for 2 Million Federal Workers as Trump Escalates Leak Crackdown
20 articles · Updated · CNN · May 26
A draft notice from the Office of Personnel Management would let agencies require federal workers to sign a government-wide nondisclosure agreement, with publication set for Wednesday and a 30-day public comment period to follow.
The proposal aims to curb leaks of “non-public, confidential or proprietary” information and cites disclosures tied to a US raid on Venezuela and the release of personal data for about 4,500 ICE personnel.
The draft defines confidential information broadly to include internal operations, personnel matters, procurement and other pre-decisional material, while saying it creates no new substantive restrictions and preserves whistleblower rights.
The move extends a wider Trump administration push to tighten control over internal information as it reshapes the federal workforce; Pete Hegseth’s office already required Pentagon officials to sign NDAs for some projects.
What stops the government's new 'confidential' label from being used to hide simple mismanagement, not just national secrets?
As some states move to ban official NDAs, why is the federal government seeking to expand their use on its workforce?
As of May 2026, the Trump administration has proposed a government-wide nondisclosure agreement (NDA) policy that would apply to all federal employees, both new and existing. This initiative aims to prevent unauthorized sharing of confidential government information and builds on previous actions, such as the Pentagon's use of NDAs and random polygraph testing to deter leaks. The policy reflects the administration's ongoing efforts to maintain tight control over sensitive information and follows a broader strategy to identify and eliminate leaks within federal agencies.