Arizona to ban people from filming police within 8ft

Violators of the new law, which includes exceptions for traffic stops, will face a misdemeanor charge and up to 30 days in jail

A new law in Arizona bans people from taking close-range recordings of police, ostensibly to prevent them getting dangerously close to potentially violent encounters, though some critics have described it as a threat to the first amendment.

The new law prohibits anyone within 8ft of law enforcement officers from recording police activity. Violators will face a misdemeanor charge and up to 30 days in jail, though only after ignoring a verbal warning.