Why California Wants Your 3D Printer To Track And Report Its Every Move To The DOJ

California is moving to implement some of the nation’s strictest regulations on 3D printers through Assembly Bill 2047, a legislative effort designed to curb the production of untraceable ghost guns by requiring 3D printers sold in the state to feature Department of Justice-approved restrictive software. California isn't the only state petitioning for change: currently New York and Washington are also trying to take a legal stance against home-made firearms.

The proposed legislation wants to mandate that any device capable of producing a firearm or its critical components must be certified by the California DOJ. To gain this certification, manufacturers must integrate algorithmic safeguards into their printers which can detect (and block operation) when a user attempts to print a regulated gun part, such as a lower receiver or frame. This proposal will likely rub people the wrong way, because rather than regulating the end product, the Golden State ...