Tell ProPublica about that NDA you had to sign. And share this, please.
https://www.propublica.org/getinvolved/nondisclosure-agreements-employer-secrecy-nda
by Ariana Tobin May 4, 5 a.m. EDT
When you walk into the lobby of many major tech companies, one of the first things youll encounter is a tablet screen laying out what you can and cant talk about after you leave. When you intern at a major law firm, you might be forced to agree to not to bring your case in front of a court. And when you leave a job at IBM willingly or not youre required to sign a whole stack of paperwork agreeing that you wont take a public stance about your experience.
There are, of course, many reasons a company would want to create an atmosphere of confidentiality between employer and employee. Some are arguably to everyones benefit privacy agreements both sides wish to uphold. But some have been used to conceal harm, and even crimes. Such documents have popped up in story after story over the past year, from celebrity chef Mike Isabella insulting women with impunity after theyd signed NDAs, Bill O'Reilly requiring women to sign settlement documents denying evidence of harassment as counterfeit or forgeries, Harvey Weinstein preventing victims from even getting copies of the documents theyd signed, and, of course, the President of the United States buying silence at most stages of his career, including this one.
We know these arent the only examples. We hope to learn more about what effect these documents have on peoples lives and careers. If youve got a story to tell, we would of course love to hear it. But even if you dont, wed like to see your NDA anyway to learn more about what these agreements can encompass.
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