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espionage
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espionage

international relations
Also known as: spying
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•History

News •

Bugging scandal triggers Silicon Valley panic over spying • Oct. 17, 2026, 6:00 AM ET (The Telegraph)
Invisible ink and ‘dead drops’: How AI is changing espionage • Oct. 16, 2026, 3:11 PM ET (NBC)

espionage, process of obtaining military, political, commercial, or other secret information by means of spies, secret agents, or illegal monitoring devices. Espionage is sometimes distinguished from the broader category of intelligence gathering by its aggressive nature and its illegality. See intelligence.