New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg is set to push a nationwide crackdown on 3D-printed firearms, building on legislation he's promoted in recent years. Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled the proposal during her State of the State address, which would require 3D printers sold in New York to be equipped with technology that blocks unlicensed production of firearms and gun parts. Possessing, selling, or distributing digital blueprints for printing illegal guns would also become a crime.
Bragg aims to blanket the market with this legislation, saying "we don't then have to do the enforcement cases." He believes some companies are taking steps in the right direction by implementing machine learning tools that prevent printers from producing firearms. However, Bragg emphasizes that these voluntary efforts won't be enough if the proposed restrictions become law.
This push is part of Bragg's broader strategy to target the systems that enable gun violence, not just individual offenders. He compares the proposed restrictions to existing limits on home printers, which can't produce counterfeit currency. The effort is a response to the growing concern over ghost guns – untraceable firearms made at home without serial numbers.
According to authorities, the number of recovered ghost guns nationwide rose sharply between 2017 and 2021, rivaling the "iron pipeline" – the flow of illegal guns from other states. Bragg's office has targeted those who sell plastic weapons and gun parts, and he shared a case where investigators discovered teenagers learned to print ghost guns through YouTube videos.
Bragg is also planning to target bitcoin-related money laundering, although he declined to provide details. The proposal faces resistance from 3D printer manufacturers and the state's gun lobby, with representatives not yet commenting on the request for comment.
Bragg aims to blanket the market with this legislation, saying "we don't then have to do the enforcement cases." He believes some companies are taking steps in the right direction by implementing machine learning tools that prevent printers from producing firearms. However, Bragg emphasizes that these voluntary efforts won't be enough if the proposed restrictions become law.
This push is part of Bragg's broader strategy to target the systems that enable gun violence, not just individual offenders. He compares the proposed restrictions to existing limits on home printers, which can't produce counterfeit currency. The effort is a response to the growing concern over ghost guns – untraceable firearms made at home without serial numbers.
According to authorities, the number of recovered ghost guns nationwide rose sharply between 2017 and 2021, rivaling the "iron pipeline" – the flow of illegal guns from other states. Bragg's office has targeted those who sell plastic weapons and gun parts, and he shared a case where investigators discovered teenagers learned to print ghost guns through YouTube videos.
Bragg is also planning to target bitcoin-related money laundering, although he declined to provide details. The proposal faces resistance from 3D printer manufacturers and the state's gun lobby, with representatives not yet commenting on the request for comment.
i mean we all knew this was gonna happen eventually, but still... what about the tech companies tho? shouldnt they be doing more to stop these illicit 3d printed guns? 
. The fact that Bragg is pushing for this nationwide crackdown shows he's serious about tackling the problem from all angles 
. And yeah, its not just about individual offenders, its about breaking down these whole systems that enable gun violence 
. I mean, the number of ghost guns recovered has been going up and it's like, we can't just sit around waiting for people to get hurt 
. The tech companies are already taking steps in the right direction with their machine learning tools, but its not enough 
. This legislation is a step in the right direction and I hope it gets passed soon 
also wut about all the ppl who r against 3d printing cuz of safety concerns? isnt that a thing 2? 
this ghost gun thingy is wild, i mean its like having 2 set of rules depending on if u get caught or not 
and bitcoin money laundering sounds super shady, what kinda info do they wanna keep secret tho? 
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. I guess only time will tell if this proposal goes through and how effective it'll be 
. One thing's for sure, though - ghost guns are a major problem, and we need someone like Bragg to take on the issue 
. but seriously, wont this just push 3D printing tech further underground and create even more problems for law enforcement? 
I mean, we've seen these 'ghost gun' things and how easy it is for people to just 3D print their own guns... it's kinda scary. 
How are they gonna stop that? 
. I mean, Bragg's trying to blanket the market, but what's next? Are we gonna start regulating everything that can be printed at home? It feels like a slippery slope 
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. But this legislation sounds like it's targeting the wrong problem. I mean, what about all the legit gun owners who just wanna tinker with their printers? Are they gonna be forced to delete all their firearm files or something? 
?
anyway, the ghost gun thing is wild, all these untraceable guns just popping up everywhere 
. 3d-printer manufacturers are already getting upset tho, wonder how this whole thing plays out 
And what about the black market guys who'll just find ways to circumvent this? It's like, they're always one step ahead 
. I'm all for reducing gun violence, but let's not make it harder for people who aren't doing anything wrong 
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