There are laws making it illegal to collect data on open land

[workinclasszero]

There are laws making it illegal to collect data on open land
Wyoming law—which forbids testing water quality, taking photos—is being challenged.

by David Kravets - Oct 2, 2015 12:50pm CDT




Wyoming lawmakers adopted legislation making it illegal to gather data on open space—such as performing water quality tests or taking photographs—for the purpose of reporting to the government harmful farming practices, environmental degradation, or other ills.

The two-part legislative package, signed by Gov. Matt Mead earlier this year, is the subject of a constitutional legal challenge from environmentalists, animal rights advocates, and the media.

The legislation is so onerous that it disallows regulators from even acting upon evidence of wrongdoing if the data was gathered without a landowners' permission, even if the data was gathered on public land. And it gives private landowners fodder to sue for trespassing.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/10/there-are-laws-making-it-illegal-to-collect-data-on-open-land/

[eppur_se_muova]

1. WOW ... just put up a sign saying "We're hiding something, guess what it is!"

Does this law mean satellites are in violation ? What about Google maps ? Will telephoto lenses be declared illegal ? Hey, what about rifle sights ? That will be the road to gun control!

[workinclasszero]

3. This is what happens when

big business is running the country.

If you report environmental violations...YOU broke the law!

China would be proud of these laws, no doubt. That's why their country is a toilet of filthy waste now.

[moondust]

2. Becoming commonplace.

Ag-gag

[workinclasszero]

4. Looks like it

Thanks for the link

[Dont call me Shirley]

5. What else would one expect from dickcheneyland.

[lpbk2713]

6. Florida made it illegal to take pics on agricultural lands a few years ago.

They didn't want any evidence of the workers and their children being exploited.

[branford]

7. My opinion on the law changes whether the "open land"

in question is public versus private property.

No private citizen generally has the right to go onto someone else's property without permission, regardless of the purported good intentions.

If someone suspects illegality, report it to the relevant authorities who can seek a court order (or use existing legislative or executive authority) for inspections or other appropriate investigative and remedial procedures.

[starroute]

9. These laws also affect people taking pictures from the roadway

http://www.greenisthenewred.com/blog/ag-gag-case-utah-circle-four-farms/8073/

4 People Prosecuted Under #AgGag Law for Photographing Factory Farm From the Road
by Will Potter on September 27, 2014

Circle Four Farms sprawls across 90 square miles of land in southwestern Utah. There are about 600,000 hogs here at a time, packed by the thousands into long warehouse sheds. About one million hogs—185 times the human population of the county—are raised at Circle Four each year, making it the largest factory farm in the state; its parent company, Smithfield Foods, is one of the largest in the world.

The farm is so large that its scale is difficult to view from the public road. At best, one could see a few of the sheds, some feed bins, trucks.

But Circle Four Farms has plenty of reasons to be wary of exposure, even from a distance. The company came under scrutiny earlier this month by the USDA because of a deadly pig virus. Last year, it was part of a controversial financial deal—the largest-ever Chinese takeover of a U.S. company. Public health studies have shown that people who live near the farm are much more likely to be hospitalized, for a wide-range of illnesses. And the farm has also been investigated by the Justice Department as part of the largest-ever case of human trafficking.

So it is perhaps not surprising that when farm employees saw people driving by on Wednesday, September 24th, and taking photographs, they reacted quickly. They followed the two cars, stopped them, demanded that they turn over their photos and, when they refused, called the sheriff.

[branford]

10. If videos or photos are taken from public property

viewing what is essentially publicly observable activities, I don't understand how that could be prohibited except under very unusual circumstances.

I simply wanted to note that people don't have the right to enter private property without permission, and the state can set the penalties for such trespass and related activities. Public land would have far fewer protections.

[starroute]

11. The Idaho law was recently ruled unconstitutional

But that case and other like it involve undercover investigators getting jobs at these facilities and then secretly filming the abuse of animals -- so questions of trespassing don't enter into it.

What makes it tricky is that corporations are attempting to conceal their illegal or unethical activities in any number of ways. Non-disclosure agreements that prevent former employees or contractors from acting as whistleblowers are another example. In every case, what's at stake is the public's right to transparency. But the legal twists and turns can be very different depending on the specific situation.

[frogmarch]

8. fucking Wyoming.

Glad I don't live there any more.

[hunter]

12. It's never stopped me.

But