[MercyFlush]

This would be illegal today because the government can’t tax the system or spy on it.

[V K Lee]

Unfortunately, you’re so correct in your statement.
If they are unable to make use of control, they either tax
or prevent. Surprising that the use of barbed wire was
never forbidden.

[PIF]

This would be illegal today because the government can’t tax the system or spy on it.
—

Not so - NSA used to tap landlines in the 1950s-80s by finding a side lobe off the wire and listening in - barbed wire same basic stuff as above-ground phone wires.

[backwoods-engineer]

Illegal? Well, they better come to my farm and arrest me then. I have my own phone system. HARDENED phone system.

[Vendome]

per the 1934 telecommunications act....

[cymbeline]

“This would be illegal today because the government can’t tax the system “

Also it might injure the linemen and linewomen.

[GingisK]

They can indeed spy on something like that.