Covert action is defined under 50 U.S.C. § 3093 as any activity conducted by the U.S. government to influence the political, economic, or military conditions abroad, where it is intended that the role of the United States will not be apparent or acknowledged publicly. It requires a written Presidential Finding and notification to the congressional intelligence committees. Covert action is distinct from clandestine intelligence collection (which gathers information secretly but does not influence foreign conditions) and from overt intelligence activities (which are openly acknowledged). Historical examples include the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran and the 1961 Bay of Pigs operation in Cuba. Because the CIA's 2026 Farsi social media campaign openly identified the CIA, it does not qualify as covert action.