HD 281 Massachusetts House · 194th Legislature (2025-2026)

An Act to ensure backyard privacy

HD 281 creates a legal right for residential property owners or tenants to sue neighbors who install video cameras on adjacent properties to record backyard activities without written consent, specifically when done to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm. The bill defines "backyard" as the area extending beyond the rear footprint of a home to the property boundaries. It explicitly excludes law enforcement officers acting within their official duties from this provision. The law directly affects homeowners and renters whose backyards are targeted by unconsented surveillance, establishing a clear remedy for unauthorized video recording.
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Photo of Joe McKenna
Joe McKenna
RRepublican
MA
18th Worcester