• Colorado law could force surveillance for 3D printers to prevent use for making gun parts - fourth state to propose new bans is expanding firearms laws to regulate digital files Now, four states are pushing bills to outlaw 3D-printed guns, and your printer, too. • Get Tom’s Hardware’s best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox. • You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Colorado is joining the growing list of states attempting to crack down on the manufacture of 3D printed “ghost guns,” joining New York, Washington, and California on a quest to expand firearms laws to regulate digital files and potentially ban 3D printers that are not under its surveillance. • Under these restrictions, 3D printers that are not online for surveillance would be illegal. • Preventing gun violence is a noble cause, but these proposed bills are no longer going after the criminals who do evil; they are going after the tools they could potentially use to create weapons. • This attempt at public safety could usher in an age of proprietary ecosystems, with customers locked into branded slicers and limited filament choices.
Article Summaries:
- Colorado has advanced a bill that would require 3D printers to be monitored online to prevent the production of firearms or components, joining New York, Washington and California in tightening regulations on “ghost guns.” HB 26‑1144 defines 3D printing to include additive and subtractive manufacturing and makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to possess or distribute digital instructions for making a gun, escalating to a Class 5 felony for repeat offenses. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Lindsay Gilchrist, passed the House Judiciary Committee and will move to the House floor. Proponents argue it will curb untraceable weapons, while critics warn it could stifle hobbyist and educational use of 3D printing technology.
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