The Espionage Act of 1917 made it a crime to share information to help enemies during wartime and restricted free speech. Hundreds of people were arrested under the Act for speaking out against U.S. involvement in World War 1. Criticism of the government was later removed from the Act due to free speech concerns. The Act continued to be used to prosecute those accused of aiding enemies, such as Julius and Ethel Rosenberg who were executed in 1953 for passing nuclear information to the Soviet Union. The Act had long lasting impacts by restricting free speech for decades.