NYC District Attorney Alvin Bragg has unveiled a bold plan to curb the proliferation of 3D-printed guns across the US. The proposed legislation would require all 3D printers sold in New York state to be equipped with technology that blocks unlicensed production of firearms and gun parts, effectively cutting off the supply chain of these deadly devices.
The initiative is part of Bragg's broader effort to tackle gun violence from a systemic level, rather than just targeting individual offenders. He has already pushed for similar legislation in New York state lawmakers and now plans to expand it nationwide. By doing so, he aims to "blanket the marketplace" and make it much harder for unlicensed manufacturers to produce and distribute these firearms.
The proposal would also make possessing, selling, or distributing digital blueprints for 3D-printed guns a crime, effectively shutting down online platforms that facilitate their production. Bragg believes this approach will be more effective than enforcement efforts alone, as it would prevent the proliferation of these devices from the outset.
Interestingly, some companies have already begun to voluntarily adopt machine learning tools that can detect and prevent the production of 3D guns on their printers. However, Bragg emphasizes that even voluntary compliance is not enough - he wants a law that will be enforced come April if Governor Hochul's budget becomes law.
The proposed restrictions are part of Bragg's strategy to combat "ghost guns," untraceable firearms that have become increasingly popular in recent years. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has reported a sharp rise in the number of ghost guns recovered nationwide between 2017 and 2021. Bragg believes that these devices now pose a significant threat to public safety, rivaling even the "iron pipeline" of illegal guns flowing from other states.
Bragg's office has already been targeting individuals who sell plastic weapons and the parts used to assemble them. In one notable case, investigators discovered that teenagers had learned how to print ghost guns by watching instructional videos on YouTube. As a result, Bragg pushed for changes to the platform's algorithm, which it subsequently made.
While details of the proposed plan remain scarce, Bragg has hinted at another initiative - targeting bitcoin-related money laundering - although he declined to provide further information.
The initiative is part of Bragg's broader effort to tackle gun violence from a systemic level, rather than just targeting individual offenders. He has already pushed for similar legislation in New York state lawmakers and now plans to expand it nationwide. By doing so, he aims to "blanket the marketplace" and make it much harder for unlicensed manufacturers to produce and distribute these firearms.
The proposal would also make possessing, selling, or distributing digital blueprints for 3D-printed guns a crime, effectively shutting down online platforms that facilitate their production. Bragg believes this approach will be more effective than enforcement efforts alone, as it would prevent the proliferation of these devices from the outset.
Interestingly, some companies have already begun to voluntarily adopt machine learning tools that can detect and prevent the production of 3D guns on their printers. However, Bragg emphasizes that even voluntary compliance is not enough - he wants a law that will be enforced come April if Governor Hochul's budget becomes law.
The proposed restrictions are part of Bragg's strategy to combat "ghost guns," untraceable firearms that have become increasingly popular in recent years. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has reported a sharp rise in the number of ghost guns recovered nationwide between 2017 and 2021. Bragg believes that these devices now pose a significant threat to public safety, rivaling even the "iron pipeline" of illegal guns flowing from other states.
Bragg's office has already been targeting individuals who sell plastic weapons and the parts used to assemble them. In one notable case, investigators discovered that teenagers had learned how to print ghost guns by watching instructional videos on YouTube. As a result, Bragg pushed for changes to the platform's algorithm, which it subsequently made.
While details of the proposed plan remain scarce, Bragg has hinted at another initiative - targeting bitcoin-related money laundering - although he declined to provide further information.
... like what if you just wanna print a toy gun for your kid? 
isn't that okay? I mean, my little brother loves playing with Legos and it's not illegal 
. But im guessing thats not the point here. I feel bad for the people who get hurt by these ghost guns though 
. Isnt that what were trying to stop? I heard about those online platforms that sell digital blueprints... shouldn't they just, like, shut down or something? 
Wait, how does this relate to bitcoin money laundering tho? 
Like I'm still trying to wrap my head around 3D-printed guns being a thing. Anyway, I guess it's kinda cool that NYC is leading the charge on this one, but at the same time, isn't it about time we just made all these online platforms do the right thing already? 
I mean, come on, you'd think companies would just want to avoid getting sued over facilitating gun production. It's like they're just trolling us at this point.
Still, I gotta give Alvin Bragg props for trying to tackle this from a systemic level rather than just going after individual bad apples. It's about time someone started thinking outside the box (or in this case, the 3D printer). Can't wait to see how this all plays out, especially if they really do manage to "blanket the marketplace" 
also, what about all the ppl who can't afford the fancy printers or the software? does bragg care about those ppl at all? 
. I mean, think about it - if some teens can figure out how to print their own ghost guns just by watching YouTube vids, we're in big trouble! It's like they say, "knowledge is power"... but what if that knowledge is used for harm? 
We need laws and regulations that can keep up with this stuff, not just wait for companies to voluntarily adopt some tech 
. I hope Bragg's plan is solid, but we need to be prepared for any scenario that might play out 
.
I'm low-key obsessed with his new plan to ban 3D-printed guns in the US! 
Like, who wouldn't want to take down the supply chain of these super deadly devices? 
It's all about making it hard for unlicensed manufacturers to produce and distribute them. And let's be real, online platforms that facilitate their production are like, totally bad news 
And yeah, some companies are already doing their part with machine learning tools, but it's not enough - we need laws to back it up!
, and I'm glad Bragg is taking it seriously. These untraceable firearms are like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to go off! 
So, fingers crossed that this plan gets implemented ASAP. And, tbh, targeting bitcoin-related money laundering? 
That's some deep thinking right there...
it's about time really...i mean think about it if you can just print your own gun at home, who's to stop you from making it out of metal, not plastic 
. it's a major security risk. Bragg's plan seems like a good start but i'd love to see more info on the machine learning tools already being used by companies 
. i mean who needs that kinda power in their hands? it's not just about individual safety, it's about keeping communities safe too 
.
. but we need more concrete action from gov & law enforcement 
. this is bigger than just one man or one initiative – it's about creating real change 
Its a good sign that tech companies can play a role in reducing the proliferation of these deadly devices 
I hope Bragg's plan can actually make a difference and reduce the number of ghost guns in circulation 
. Maybe we can even start to see some real change in our communities 
So they're trying to cut off the supply chain of 3D-printed guns by making all printers in NY state block unlicensed production... that's like me trying to stop my friends from eating pizza by telling them they can't buy sauce without a license 
.
. He wants to cut off the supply chain of these guns and also makes possessing or selling blueprints for them a crime 
. It's interesting to see how he's targeting online platforms too 
. hope it works out 
He's trying to tackle gun violence from multiple angles and I'm all for it 
I'm curious to see how this plays out nationwide and if it makes a real difference in reducing ghost guns 
.
. It makes sense to me that if we can just cut off the supply chain, we'll be making it way harder for these devices to end up in the wrong hands 
.
. By expanding this legislation nationwide, he aims to blanket the marketplace and make it difficult for unlicensed manufacturers to produce and distribute these firearms 
Anyway, I'm curious to see if Bragg's plan actually sticks and if it makes a difference on those gun violence stats