First Amendment audit

First Amendment audits are a largely American social movement that usually involves photographing or filming from a public space. It is often categorized by its practitioners, known as auditors, as activism and citizen journalism that tests constitutional rights, in particular the right to photograph and video record in a public space (a right normally covered by the First Amendment).^[1][2] Auditors have tended to film or photograph government buildings, equipment, and access control points, as well as any personnel present.^[3]

Auditors believe that the movement promotes transparency and open government, while critics have argued that audits are typically confrontational, criticizing some tactics as forms of intimidation and harassment. Many opponents of the tactics and legal understandings of auditors refer to auditors as "frauditors".^[4]

The practice is predominantly a US concept (since the First Amendment is a part of US law), but it has also been seen in other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom,^[5][6] Canada, and Russia.^[7]