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. The Act criminalized the publication or distribution of information that could harm or hinder US armed forces as well as of false reports or false statements. 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.
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