A First Amendment Auditor is a private citizen who exercises freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the right to record public officials by filming in public spaces.

➔ No special credentials.
➔ No government permission.
➔ No apologies.

Just a camera, the Constitution, and the will to hold power accountable.

First Amendment auditors don't "cause problems."

They expose problems, problems that already exist within a system that resents being watched.

Auditing is the civic act of shining light where misconduct hides.

• Government hates transparency.
  Audit culture forces public officials to behave as if they’re actually accountable, because they are.
   
• Power fears exposure.
  Without cameras, there’s no record. Without records, there’s no justice. Without justice, there’s tyranny.
   
• Civilians must police the police.
  If the only oversight comes from within, corruption thrives. Outside eyes matter.
   
• The First Amendment doesn’t enforce itself.
  It requires real people, in real time, standing in real places, using real cameras.
   

First Amendment auditors are the canaries in the coal mine of democracy and if they are attacked, ignored, or silenced, the collapse comes next.

Ask yourself:

➔ Why would a public servant, paid by tax dollars, be threatened by a citizen recording lawful activity in a public space?

The answer:

Occupational arrogance and fear of exposure.

Here’s how many government agents react when confronted with an auditor:

• Bark unlawful orders: “Turn that off! You can’t film here!”
   
• Lie about laws: “You need my permission to record!”
   
• Fabricate charges: “You’re disorderly!” "You're trespassing in a public lobby!"
   
• Retaliate: Arrest, assault, or otherwise punish the auditor for daring to hold them accountable.
   

Auditors aren’t the threat.

Arrogant, lawbreaking officials are.

• You have the right to film public officials performing public duties in public spaces. (Glik v. Cunniffe)
   
• You do not need permission.
   
• You do not need to answer questions.
   
• You do not have to stop recording unless legally ordered with clear, articulable facts that pass constitutional muster.
   
• You are not interfering simply by filming quietly. (Turner v. Driver)
   
• You cannot be trespassed from public property without lawful cause.
   
• Retaliation for protected speech is a constitutional violation. (Nieves v. Bartlett)
   

Cameras are not weapons, but they are treated like one by those afraid of the truth.

Arrogant government actors often try the same losing strategies:

Dirty Tactic

Reality

Claiming “officer safety” to shut down filming

Not a legal basis to suspend rights. Safety concerns must be specific, immediate, and lawful.

Demanding ID without lawful detention

Unless a lawful Terry stop occurs, you are not required to ID yourself.

Threatening "disorderly conduct" for refusing orders

Refusing unlawful orders is not disorderly conduct, it is exercising your rights.

Trespassing citizens from public areas

Public property is public, unless actual, lawful disruption or crime occurs.

Fabricating reasons to arrest

False arrest leads directly to Section 1983 civil rights lawsuits, and big payouts. 

First Amendment auditors stand as living proof that power must remain in the hands of the people, not the agencies funded by their taxes.

• If your rights only exist when convenient, you have no rights at all.
   
• If your speech can be suppressed because it makes officials uncomfortable, you have no First Amendment.
   
• If your ability to document government conduct can be outlawed by badges and anger, you are already living under tyranny, not law.
   

Auditors hold the line.

• Know the law better than the enforcers.
   
• Film everything, especially yourself, calmly asserting your rights.
   
• Stay calm and narrate events for the record.
   
• Ask: "Am I being detained? Am I free to go?"
   
• Never physically resist, let the video become your weapon in court.
   
• Push lawsuits and complaints afterward, force accountability.
   

Audit smart. Audit strong. Audit unapologetically.

"Freedom exists only where citizens monitor government, not the other way around."
 

First Amendment auditing isn't just a hobby.
It’s a frontline defense of liberty against the slow creep of authoritarianism.

If the cameras ever go dark, so does the Republic.