Undercover investigations by animal advocates are a critical tool in exposing the cruel realities of factory farming. However, instead of passing laws to ensure farmed animals are protected from abuse and neglect on factory farms, industrial agriculture continues to introduce anti-whistleblower legislation (often referred to as “ag-gag” bills) to prevent the investigation and exposure of cruel conditions endured by animals at these facilities.
| State | Year | Citation | Status | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 2002 | Ala. Code 1975 § 13A-11-150 - 158 | Active | Illegal to “obtain access” to an animal research or production facility “by false pretenses.” Illegal to obtain or possess records or data by deception or theft. |
| Arkansas | 2017 | Ark. Code § 16-118-113 | Current challenge in court; 2021 remand by the Eighth Circuit to the lower court. | Illegal to access nonpublic commercial property with the intent to place an electric surveillance device or record images or sound that damage the owner. |
| Idaho | 2014 | Idaho §18-7042 | Unconstitutional; struck down in 2015. | Illegal to enter a facility or obtain employment there under misrepresentation. Illegal to obtain records or record audio or video without express consent. |
| Iowa | 2012 | Iowa Code § 717A.3A | Partially Unconstitutional; 2021 ruling by the Eighth Circuit found that § 717A.3A(1)(a) (access provision) is constitutional but § 717A.3A(1)(b) (employment provision) is unconstitutional. | Illegal to “... |
Income Tax Department searched multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The searches targeted intermediaries allegedly facilitating fraudulent income tax claims. These claims involved fa...