'Born classified' doctrine.
documentedgovernment_studyUS Department of Energy (DOE)
The 'born classified' (born secret) doctrine holds that atomic-energy information falling within the RD definition is classified at the instant of creation - even if generated by a private citizen…
The 'born classified' (born secret) doctrine holds that atomic-energy information falling within the RD definition is classified at the instant of creation - even if generated by a private citizen with no government involvement and no government marking - because the AEA's RD definition sweeps in 'all data' not specifically declassified. It is the most legally distinctive feature of U.S. nuclear secrecy and the conceptual root of DOE's unique control. Tested famously in the 1979 United States v. The Progressive H-bomb case.