The International Press Institute (IPI) today said it was concerned by a proposed UK law that could lead to prison time for journalists who obtain leaked official materials.

The proposal by the UK’s independent Law Review Commission, part of an attempt to overhaul and replace the country’s Official Secrets Act to address modern threats to the protection of official data, would criminalise not only those who leak official materials, but those who obtain or gather them.

It would also expand the offence of leaking official information to include sensitive data that “affects the economic well-being of the United Kingdom in so far as it relates to national security” and increase the penalties for doing so from two years in prison to up to 14 years.

Following widespread outcry, a source in the British prime minister’s office on Monday attributed the proposal to a “previous prime minister” and told The Guardian: “It will never be our policy to restrict the freedom of investigative journalism or public service whistleblowing.”

IPI said it welcomed the British government’s attempts to distance itself from the proposal and it called on lawmakers to clearly distinguish public interest journalism from espionage.

“We are concerned by the way these recommendations could potentially be used to target whistle-blowers and stifle independent journalism, which could have an extremely negative effect on democracy in terms of ensuring accountability,” IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said. “While there is reason to protect some sensitive information, we urge lawmakers not to sacrifice free expression and media freedom in an unnecessarily overbroad attempt to do so.”

The Law Review Commission’s recommendations are currently part of a public consultation that will continue to accept comments until April 3.