<P> A gag order (also known as a gagging order or suppression order) is an order, typically a legal order by a court or government, restricting information or comment from being made public or passed onto any unauthorized third party . The phrase may sometimes be used of a private order by an employer or other institution . </P> <P> Gag orders may be used, for example, to keep legitimate trade secrets of a company, to protect the integrity of ongoing police or military operations, or to protect the privacy of victims or minors . Conversely, as their downside, they may be abused as a useful tool for those of financial means to intimidate witnesses and prevent release of information, using the legal system rather than other methods of intimidation . Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) orders may potentially be abused in this way . </P> <P> Gag orders are sometimes used in an attempt to assure a fair trial by preventing prejudicial pre-trial publicity, although their use for this purpose is controversial since they are a potentially unconstitutional prior restraint that can lead to the press's using less reliable sources such as off - the - record statements and second - or third - hand accounts . </P> <P> In a similar manner, a "gag law" may limit freedom of the press, by instituting censorship or restricting access to information . </P>

When might a gag order be imposed in a trial