Why it's Illegal to Spy on Cows in Ontario episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 29, 2026 · 35 MIN

Why it's Illegal to Spy on Cows in Ontario

from CANADALAND

From Upton Sinclair to modern day animal activists, going undercover has been a staple of animal cruelty reporting. But in Ontario, a court recently ruled that it might be illegal to get that footage, that reporting, in the first place — you can no longer take a job under false pretences on farms in Ontario. Why do animal rights activists believe they should have a right to lie?What do farmers and other agriculture business owners have to hide? And if it's illegal to lie to go undercover on a farm - is ALL undercover reporting now illegal?Further Reading:Ontario’s top court restores agriculture law parts targeting animal rights activists — The Canadian PressOpinion | Meat eaters and animal lovers should be appalled by ag-gag court ruling — The Toronto StarDecisions of the Court of Appeal: Animal Justice v. Ontario — Court of Appeal for OntarioW5: Alleged animal abuse at an Ontario pig farm — CTVCanadian Beef Industry — 2021 Census of AgricultureOntario Court of Appeal Reinstates Ag Gag Law, Silencing Farm Whistleblowers — Animal JusticeBeef Farmers Welcome Ontario Court of Appeal’s Decision to Provide Clarity on the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act — Beef Farmers of OntarioHost: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer & Senior Production Supervisor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editing & Production), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by: Julian AbrahamAdditional music by: Audio NetworkPhoto: Aviva LessardSponsors: Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.caBetterHelp: Visit https://betterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.Taskrabbit: Get ahead of your to-do list with fifteen dollars off your first task at https://Taskrabbit.ca or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code canadaland.Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.Find out more about our live events at https://canadaland.com/liveFind out more about the our Audio Journalism Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.comIf you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Upton Sinclair to modern day animal activists, going undercover has been a staple of animal cruelty reporting. But in Ontario, a court recently ruled that it might be illegal to get that footage, that reporting, in the first place — you can no longer take a job under false pretences on farms in Ontario. Why do animal rights activists believe they should have a right to lie?What do farmers and other agriculture business owners have to hide? And if it's illegal to lie to go undercover on a farm - is ALL undercover reporting now illegal?Further Reading:Ontario’s top court restores agriculture law parts targeting animal rights activists — The Canadian PressOpinion | Meat eaters and animal lovers should be appalled by ag-gag court ruling — The Toronto StarDecisions of the Court of Appeal: Animal Justice v. Ontario — Court of Appeal for OntarioW5: Alleged animal abuse at an Ontario pig farm — CTVCanadian Beef Industry — 2021 Census of AgricultureOntario Court of Appeal Reinstates Ag Gag Law, Silencing Farm Whistleblowers — Animal JusticeBeef Farmers Welcome Ontario Court of Appeal’s Decision to Provide Clarity on the Security from Trespass and Protecting Food Safety Act — Beef Farmers of OntarioHost: Jesse BrownCredits: Tristan Capacchione (Producer & Senior Production Supervisor), Bruce Thorson (Senior Producer), Chad Galloway (Audio Editing & Production), Caleb Thompson (Audio Editing & Production), Jesse Brown (Editor and Publisher)Fact checking by: Julian AbrahamAdditional music by: Audio NetworkPhoto: Aviva LessardSponsors: Fizz: Visit https://fizz.ca and activate a first plan using the referral code CAN25 to get 40$ off and 10GB of free data.Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at https://shopify.caBetterHelp: Visit https://betterHelp.com/canadaland today to get 10% off your first month.Taskrabbit: Get ahead of your to-do list with fifteen dollars off your first task at https://Taskrabbit.ca or on the Taskrabbit app using promo code canadaland.Can’t get enough Canadaland? Follow @Canadaland_Podcasts on Instagram for clips, announcements, explainers and more.Find out more about our live events at https://canadaland.com/liveFind out more about the our Audio Journalism Fellowship programme at https://labs.canadaland.comIf you value this podcast, support us! You’ll get premium access to all our shows ad free, including early releases and bonus content. You’ll also get our exclusive newsletter, discounts on merch at our store, tickets to our live and virtual events, and more than anything, you’ll be a part of the solution to Canada’s journalism crisis, you’ll be keeping our work free and accessible to everybody. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Why it's Illegal to Spy on Cows in Ontario

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This episode was published on June 29, 2026.

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From Upton Sinclair to modern day animal activists, going undercover has been a staple of animal cruelty reporting. But in Ontario, a court recently ruled that it might be illegal to get that footage, that reporting, in the first place — you can no...

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