A new report puts a spotlight on so-called "ag-gag" laws, offering a clear look at how these efforts to criminalize whistleblowing "are part of a sweeping crackdown on dissent."

Released Wednesday by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and Defending Rights & Dissent, "Ag-Gag Across America Corporate-Backed Attacks on Activists and Whistleblowers" details the first part of the crackdown—"the Green Scare"—that emerged in 1990, and a second wave that erupted in 2011, as well as legal challenges they have faced and successful efforts to defeat them.

"States must not be allowed to shield the disturbing reality of animal agriculture from public scrutiny," said CCR senior staff attorney Rachel Meeropol. "Documenting what actually happens on factory farms is not a crime."

Read the full piece here.