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Research draft

espionage

vr.tr.espionage · ACT.ACT

Let an agent describe espionage as a historical, legal and political phenomenon with attribution, distinguish it from lawful intelligence disciplines such as open-source intelligence and from security work, relay law and notable cases from reliable sources, and give no operational tradecraft.

Thing Registry Activities and processes

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent describe espionage as a historical, legal and political phenomenon with attribution, distinguish it from lawful intelligence disciplines such as open-source intelligence and from security work, relay law and notable cases from reliable sources, and give no operational tradecraft.

The practice of obtaining secret or confidential information without the permission of its holder, typically by governments through intelligence agencies and by companies through industrial espionage, using human sources, interception and other means; espionage is a crime under national law while states practise it against one another, and it is studied in history, law and international relations.

What it is for: Not applicable; a practice of states and organisations.

It can be explain the concept and its history; distinguish espionage from related intelligence disciplines; relay law and notable cases; present debates with attribution.

Distinguishing features

Secrecy and lack of consent

State and corporate forms

Criminal under national law

Long history and rich culture

What it looks like

Not visible; known through history, trials, memoirs and fiction.

How it is recognised

Covert acquisition of secrets without permission

By states, companies and individuals

Open-source intelligence and lawful surveillance under warrant are distinct

Related models

is a kind of - in national law

violation of law

is a kind of - the wider field

intelligence activity

is contrasted with - lawful collection from public sources

open-source intelligence

is countered by - the defensive activity

counterintelligence

In practice

Families and kinds

state espionage by intelligence agencies

human intelligence as a discipline

signals and imagery intelligence, related disciplines

industrial and economic espionage

cyber espionage

counter-espionage

Standards and regulation

National espionage and official secrets laws

International law, which does not regulate espionage directly but governs diplomatic conduct

Trade secret and economic espionage laws

Oversight regimes for intelligence agencies

Failure modes and hazards

Prosecution and diplomatic incidents

Harm to sources

Agents giving operational tradecraft

Conflating journalism or research with espionage

Also called

military intelligenceUnit Hatzavopen-source intelligencenaval intelligencesanitary and epidemiological reconnaissanceimagery intelligencevisual intelligencegeospatial intelligenceIntelligence in the American Revolutionary Waropen-source defense intelligenceopen-source intelligence in the Russian invasion of Ukrainedigital investigationthermal intelligenceUltracyber espionagecyber spying on universitiesfinancial intelligenceNational Communications Centresignals intelligencethreat intelligencecommunications intelligenceelectronic intelligenceSpying on families of ARA San JuanNorth Korean espionage in South Koreaindustrial espionageRussian spies in the Russo-Ukrainian warRussian espionage in GermanyRussian espionage in the United KingdomRussian espionage in EstoniaRussian espionage in PolandRussian espionage in LatviaRussian espionage in UkraineParasetnuclear espionageespionage crime in the People's Republic of ChinaDutch espionage during World War IIclandestine operationSexpionageLabor spy

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Source repository Registry entry point

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Concept What espionage is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition and distinctions.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is espionage, and how does it differ from open-source intelligence, lawful surveillance and security work? definition
  2. Is the user asking for operational tradecraft, which the model does not give? boundary

Forms

Forms.

Forms

Forms.

  1. What forms does espionage take, from state to industrial and cyber? definition
  2. Which entry fits the related discipline? action
Law Law and oversight.

Law.

National

National law.

National

National.

  1. How do national laws define and punish espionage, in general terms? provenance
  2. Is the user asking about a specific case, which needs a lawyer? boundary

International

International dimension.

International

International.

  1. How do international law and diplomacy treat espionage between states? provenance
  2. Which entry fits intelligence oversight? action
History History and cases.

Attribution.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How has espionage developed through history, and which cases are notable, with sources? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Agencies

Agencies.

Agencies

Agencies.

  1. Which intelligence agencies exist, and how are they organised and overseen, from official sources? provenance
  2. Which entry fits a specific agency? action
Debate Ethics and culture.

Attribution.

Ethics

Ethical debates.

Ethics

Ethics.

  1. What debates exist about the ethics and oversight of espionage, with positions attributed? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral? boundary

Culture

Espionage in culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How is espionage portrayed in literature and film, and how does that differ from practice? provenance
  2. Which entry fits spy fiction? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should intelligence disciplines be separate entries?
  • How should case law be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming intelligence disciplines and a specific unit; should they be split off?
Draft as JSON