What was the goal of the Espionage Act of 1917?

It prohibited many forms of speech, including "any disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language about the form of government of the United States ..."

The goal of the Espionage Act of 1917 was to make spying illegal. The definition of espionage is "the practice of spying or of using spies." The United States government passed this act because America had just entered World War I.

The Sedition Act is the act that made it illegal to say anything against the government, not the Espionage Act.