First Amendment Protects Right to Livestream Traffic Stops, Fourth Circuit Says | FindLaw

The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and seven other federal circuits protect the right to record police. But in a recent decision, the Fourth Circuit takes that protection further, finding that livestreaming is also a protected activity under the First Amendment.

“Recording police encounters creates information that contributes to discussion about governmental affairs,” the court wrote. “So too does livestreaming disseminate that information, often creating its own record.”

Read more: First Amendment Protects Right to Livestream Traffic Stops, Fourth Circuit Says – FindLaw