Ag-gag laws
Ag-gag laws restrict or prohibit the documentation and exposure of animal abuse or mistreatment in agricultural operations. These laws are designed to prevent undercover investigations and whistleblowing by animal welfare activists, journalists, and others who seek to expose animal cruelty and other illegal or unethical practices in the agriculture industry.
Ag-gag laws typically criminalize various forms of conduct related to the investigation and documentation of animal cruelty, such as the recording or photographing of agricultural operations without the owner's consent, the possession or distribution of such recordings, and the misrepresentation of oneself as an employee in order to gain access to an agricultural operation. Violators of these laws may face criminal penalties, including fines and imprisonment.