> In that case, the assistant attorney general told the court that the Tallahassee Police Department was under a non-disclosure agreement—likely from the leadin

> In that case, the assistant attorney general told the court that the Tallahassee Police Department was under a non-disclosure agreement—likely from the leading manufacturer, Harris Corporation—forbidding it from acknowledging the use of a stingray, never mind describing it in detail. The US government has sovereign immunity to lawsuits, and a weaker right to petition the government in the constitution. I had wondered about this a bit, but here's at least a clear example of a case where you might plausibly want your government to not be bound by a civil contract. In reality, I'm sure commercial contracts aren't actually granted immunity. It's just an example. I wonder if it makes sense to do any of these: * Ban the government from being able to sign an NDA for a commercial contract. Maybe some exceptions for military use. * Require approval from the local, state, or federal legislature before the local, state, or federal executive branches can sign NDAs(since NDAs are effectively mini-laws that constrain the government). * Allow NDAs, but have a public list of (Agency, Supplier) pairs for which NDAs exist