Could security cameras at gun shops become a backdoor gun registry? The National Rifle Association says it’s a real danger, even though federal law bans the government from keeping one.
John Commerford, executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, said AI-powered license plate cameras made by Flock Safety raise exactly that risk. “These tools dramatically expand the government’s ability to monitor and track everyday citizens going about their lives and could be used to create a de facto registry of gun owners,” he told The Washington Times.
The cameras, installed at street corners, parking lots and businesses nationwide, record license plates along with details like vehicle make, model and even bumper stickers.
That fear is already driving gun shop owners to act. Michael Carter, who owns Gun Commanders in Cleveland, Georgia, took down his Flock cameras after customers complained. In Cudahy, Wisconsin, Eagle Sports Range removed its cameras, too, even though Flock said the range was contractually bound to keep them running.
Mr. Commerford said the bigger question is who controls the footage. “The Second Amendment protects the right to keep and bear arms free from continuous government monitoring, and mass tracking of lawful gun owners threatens both privacy and liberty,” he said.
Read more:
• ’We own our privacy’: Flock cameras and firearm rights clash at gun shops
This article was constructed with the assistance of artificial intelligence and published by a member of The Washington Times' AI News Desk team. The contents of this report are based solely on The Washington Times' original reporting, wire services, and/or other sources cited within the report. For more information, please read our AI policy or contact Steve Fink, Director of Artificial Intelligence, at sfink@washingtontimes.com
The Washington Times AI Ethics Newsroom Committee can be reached at aispotlight@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.