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Texas Anti-Drone Photography Law Violates First Amendment, Judge Rules
A Texas law that limits the use of remotely piloted drones to capture images is unconstitutional, a federal judge in Austin ruled Monday. The National Press Photographers Association, the Texas Press Association and former Dallas Observer editor Joseph Pappalardo challenged the so-called “Texas Privacy Act,” which threatened criminal charges and punishing civil lawsuits against anyone taking images “of an individual or privately owned real property in this state with the intent to conduct surveillance on the individual or property captured in the image.” Well, almost anyone. Academics, law enforcement, Realtors, surveyors, utility companies, gas and oil drillers, pipeline companies and others with a “commercial purpose” were exempt under the law, provided…
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Photos, public space and the 1st Amendment
On a latest Saturday, community higher faculty trainer Tony Nipert deboarded a MetroLink coach at the Central West Conclude station while enjoying a single of his favored hobbies: discovering St. Louis. As he exited the coach, he made the decision to snap a fast image of the coach departing toward downtown and pulled out his cell phone. Following using a rapid shot of the moving practice, he decided to consider a person far more picture — due to the fact the newly refurbished station was wanting so very good. “I like how the properties sort of increase up out of the station. So I bought back at a distance, and…