


The non-specific language of the act made it possible for the government to target virtually anyone who opposed the war, including pacifists, neutralists, communists, anarchists, and socialists. Under the wording of the act, anyone who publicly protested against the war, or the military draft could be open to investigation and prosecution. While the intent of the act was to define and punish acts of espionage-spying-during wartime, it necessarily placed new limits on Americans’ First Amendment rights. Potential punishments for violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 range from fines of $10,000 and 20 years in prison to the death penalty. Industrial espionage, economic espionage, corporate spying, or corporate espionage is a form of espionage conducted for commercial purposes instead of purely national security.While The Espionage Act of 1917 limited Americans’ First Amendment Rights, it was ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court in the 1919 case of Schenck v.The Espionage Act of 1917 was passed by Congress on June 15, 1917, two months after the United States entered World War I.armed forces during a war, or to in any way assist the war efforts of the nation’s enemies. The Espionage Act of 1917 makes it a crime to interfere with or attempt to undermine or interfere with the efforts of the U.S. Counterintelligence can be described as activities designed to prevent or thwart spying, intelligence gathering. Corporate espionage sometimes also called industrial espionage, economic espionage or corporate spying is the practice of using espionage techniques for commercial or financial purposes.
