New Law Threatens Press Freedom and Whistleblowers, Favours Corporate Secrecy

The UK government is considering a law that would make it easier for companies to sue whistleblowers and journalists for scrutinising corporate activity.

In a letter to business minister Sam Gyimah, a coalition of NGOs, campaigners, and independent media express their concern over the “legal ambiguity about protection for whistle-blowers in the UK” as well as potential restrictions on reporting sensitive commercial deals. The letter was signed by 18 organisations, including DeSmog UK.

The UK government is currently transposing the 2016 EU directive on “trade secrets protection” into national law. There are fears that in its current form, major stories could go unreported due to the special statues of ‘trade secrets’, which threatens the rights of whistle-blowers and the ability of reporters to expose wrongdoing.