Or more likely, all farmers increased the size of the cages or connected them with the outside so they can now class them as free range, even though the conditions have not improved that much?
No,it's not. "Outside" could mean an equally small space,just outside of building. Sure,it's better,but it's no where near the real "free range" where chickens are just free to go wherever they like. It's more about space that they get rather than whatever they are outside or not.