the.com/leak
information that resigns before it's fired.
means the unauthorized release of secret or private information, usually to a journalist, before anyone official wanted it out.
from from old norse leka meaning to drip or trickle, first used for water escaping through cracks in hulls or roofs; by the 20th century politicians borrowed the word for truths that escaped the same way, drop by drop, until the whole ship was wet.
deep throatfamous watergate source stayed anonymous for 33 years
trial balloonsome leaks are deliberate, testing reaction before official news
legal riskclassified leaks can carry decades in prison, rarely enforced
for instance
pentagon papers — 1971, daniel ellsberg exposed decades of vietnam war deception
panama papers — 2016, 11.5 million documents outed offshore fortunes worldwide
snowden files — 2013, nsa surveillance program details given to journalists
iphone prototypes — apple leaks now arrive yearly before launch events