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Gun Control Law- Give Police Your Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?

Should Americans be Required to Give Police Their Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?


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truthatallcost

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A new proposal would require New Yorkers who want handgun licenses to undergo search engine and social media checks, including handing over log-in information and passwords to police.

State Sen. Kevin Parker, a Democrat representing Brooklyn, introduced the bill this month, according to the state legislature’s website. If signed into law, the legislation would impact those applying for or renewing their licenses to have a pistol or revolver.

Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram are the social media platforms that would be scrutinized under the bill. Investigators would review applicants’ Google, Yahoo and Bing search results as well.

Text of the legislation says “the New York state police shall, after obtaining the licensee’s consent … and obtaining any log-in name, password or other means for accessing a personal account … review a licensee’s social media accounts for the previous three years and search engine history for the previous year.”

Under the bill, police are instructed to watch for posts that include profane slurs or biased language related to race, color, ancestry, gender, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. Other red flags would include threats to other people and acts of terrorism that turn up in the search, the legislation said.

Critics said the bill opens the door for discrimination.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article222092570.html

Should Americans be Required to Give Police Their Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?

Other stories I've seen say the NY legislators want to expand the law if passed, to iinclude everyone who buys or already owns a gun.
 
Should Americans be Required to Give Police Their Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?

Other stories I've seen say they NY legislators want to expand the law if passed, to iinclude everyone who buys or already owns a gun.

Oh, sure. Right after we give our local police department our house keys to let them search through our homes and rifle through our belongings at their convenience. Only the guilty need fear anything, after all.
 
Oh, sure. Right after we give our local police department our house keys to let them search through our homes and rifle through our belongings at their convenience. Only the guilty need fear anything, after all.

Vote bro!
 
Sure, we should let the police decide who deserves to keep their individual constitutional rights. Why waste time on that pesky and expensive due process when we can just let the police make the call? After all, the police hardly ever make any mistakes.
 
No, absolutely not. This law is basically "If you've ever committed any crime, regardless of how minor, and were stupid enough to post about it on social media, you don't get to own a handgun.
 
No there's a reason why profile is not public lol, why can't we disarm selfs live in a peace world, why not use sarcasm to kill it's really effective
 
Should Americans be Required to Give Police Their Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?

Other stories I've seen say the NY legislators want to expand the law if passed, to iinclude everyone who buys or already owns a gun.

As Forrest Gump would say, "stupid is as stupid does". Great example of liberalism run amok. Aside from the very obvious violations of our rights, if bad people who want guns know what the law is, they will just have two different accounts, one legit and one they give their password out to the law enforcement agency, not to mention they can still get guns just about any way they want via other methods that aren't tracked, theft being one example. The left seem to have this stupid idea that bad people who want guns will follow the law and not be able to get the guns they want. These people don't follow the law in the first place.
 
Should Americans be Required to Give Police Their Social Media Passwords, or be Refused a License?

Other stories I've seen say the NY legislators want to expand the law if passed, to iinclude everyone who buys or already owns a gun.

Yes, why not? Many American companies require your social media keys before they hire you as part of a back ground check. If you are a wacko making threats on social media why should you be given a gun license? America's independence and privacy obsession should end where the rights of the public to safety begin. There are too many shooters who after the fact are said to have given red flag signals on social media. Why don't we give anyone a gun, no questions asked? That is what it amounts to in America today. You can have serious mental issues and not have a criminal record. It does not surprise me that so many Americans have no problem with giving anyone without a criminal record guns and permits.
 
This proposed law affects several areas of individual rights.

Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram are the social media platforms that would be scrutinized under the bill. Investigators would review applicants’ Google, Yahoo and Bing search results as well.

Text of the legislation says “the New York state police shall, after obtaining the licensee’s consent … and obtaining any log-in name, password or other means for accessing a personal account … review a licensee’s social media accounts for the previous three years and search engine history for the previous year.”

The stated purpose of the law is figure out whether anything on the applicants’ social media or search engine results present “good cause for the revocation of a license.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article222092570.html

1. The requirement to search through an applicant's internet search activity is a violation of the right to privacy. I am already on record as opposed to internet companies use of technology to "track and profile" internet users. Now NY State legislators want police to do it too?

2. I am already opposed to gun licensing laws anywhere in the USA, because it is licensing a right (to keep and bear arms) as opposed to licensing a privilege (driving a motor vehicle). No one should have to get a license to either own a gun or for open carry, although I suppose a permit for concealed carry would not be unreasonable.

3. Searching through someone's social media is not necessarily a problem per se, as long as it is limited to those posts already in the public domain, any more than it would be to review posted videos or copies of news reports on public speech/actions. However, asking for a person's passwords so that ALL posts, including private ones never placed in the public domain is again a violation of privacy rights. Compelling people to voluntarily give up their right to be protected from warrantless searches.

These are just three issues I can think of off the top of my head. There are several others (like due process, possible discrimination issues, etc.) that should raise the hackles of anyone not kow-towing to the authoritarian group-think of the Left.
 
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Yes, why not? Many American companies require your social media keys before they hire you as part of a back ground check. If you are a wacko making threats on social media why should you be given a gun license? America's independence and privacy obsession should end where the rights of the public to safety begin. There are too many shooters who after the fact are said to have given red flag signals on social media. Why don't we give anyone a gun, no questions asked? That is what it amounts to in America today. You can have serious mental issues and not have a criminal record. It does not surprise me that so many Americans have no problem with giving anyone without a criminal record guns and permits.

Nah.

I'll just keep my 2A rights....but, go ahead and give up your passwords if it makes you feel safer.
 
Even if passed, it’ll be challenged and struck down.
 
Yes, why not? Many American companies require your social media keys before they hire you as part of a back ground check. If you are a wacko making threats on social media why should you be given a gun license? America's independence and privacy obsession should end where the rights of the public to safety begin. There are too many shooters who after the fact are said to have given red flag signals on social media. Why don't we give anyone a gun, no questions asked? That is what it amounts to in America today. You can have serious mental issues and not have a criminal record. It does not surprise me that so many Americans have no problem with giving anyone without a criminal record guns and permits.

The police are not allowed to pass sentence (or to declare folks to have "mental issues") for a very good reason - folks have a constituional right to due process of law. As to that (bolded above) assertion - how many "red flag signalling shooters" have been issued CCW permits?
 
The police are not allowed to pass sentence (or to declare folks to have "mental issues") for a very good reason - folks have a constituional right to due process of law. As to that (bolded above) assertion - how many "red flag signalling shooters" have been issued CCW permits?

I think due process would be provided under any law that might be passed. It wouldn't stand constitutional examination if it didn't. The Pittsburg Synagogue shooter left rants against Jews on social media. I can't answer a question for which there are no solid answers. The CDC has been given the green light to compile gun violence data after many years of being blocked from doing so. Maybe in a few more years of murder and mayhem we will begin to see patterns that no solid evidence is available to look at now. The right cries mental health is the issue then cries foul if a jurisdiction wants to use a tool that might catch people with mental health issues and no criminal record. Social media checks are common all across America.
 
I think due process would be provided under any law that might be passed. It wouldn't stand constitutional examination if it didn't. The Pittsburg Synagogue shooter left rants against Jews on social media. I can't answer a question for which there are no solid answers. The CDC has been given the green light to compile gun violence data after many years of being blocked from doing so. Maybe in a few more years of murder and mayhem we will begin to see patterns that no solid evidence is available to look at now. The right cries mental health is the issue then cries foul if a jurisdiction wants to use a tool that might catch people with mental health issues and no criminal record. Social media checks are common all across America.

The CDC will do anything to have a bigger budget and to divert from who most often wrongly kills people are doctors - over 250,000 people a year.

The proposed law is just another example of the Democratic Party trying to keep firearms out of the hands of black people or anyone who isn't a rich, white Democrat. As a side benefit it allows spying on any political opposition to continued white Democratic control.
 
I think due process would be provided under any law that might be passed. It wouldn't stand constitutional examination if it didn't. The Pittsburg Synagogue shooter left rants against Jews on social media. I can't answer a question for which there are no solid answers. The CDC has been given the green light to compile gun violence data after many years of being blocked from doing so. Maybe in a few more years of murder and mayhem we will begin to see patterns that no solid evidence is available to look at now. The right cries mental health is the issue then cries foul if a jurisdiction wants to use a tool that might catch people with mental health issues and no criminal record. Social media checks are common all across America.

Catch them how? All this proposed law would do is to deny (some few?) folks permission to legally carry a concealed gun based on the 'judgement' of someone not certified in judging mental health.
 
I think they should check the buyer's DP history.
 
Catch them how? All this proposed law would do is to deny (some few?) folks permission to legally carry a concealed gun based on the 'judgement' of someone not certified in judging mental health.

Oh...come on. What is due process if not a right to be examined by a proper mental health official? If mental health is the issue. We don't know the details of the proposed law in New York State so can only endlessly speculate. Both the Synagogue shooter and the Parkland Florida shooter made disturbing social media posts well prior to their crimes. I have no idea if red flag laws might have prevented their crimes or denied them the AR15 type weapons they used.
 
Oh...come on. What is due process if not a right to be examined by a proper mental health official? If mental health is the issue. We don't know the details of the proposed law in New York State so can only endlessly speculate. Both the Synagogue shooter and the Parkland Florida shooter made disturbing social media posts well prior to their crimes. I have no idea if red flag laws might have prevented their crimes or denied them the AR15 type weapons they used.

The NY proposal mentions police, not "mental health officials" (whoever they might be), as the one's given the power to demand access to an applicant's "social media" account passwords. It contained no mention of a judge making the decision as to whether one's (private?) "social media" activity indicated any 'mental health' "concerns" (also not specifically limited to being a danger to themselves or others). The intent seems quite clear - scare folks into not applying for a CCW permit by demanding that they allow police to examine their personal "social media" content or lose their non-refundable CCW permit application fee.
 
The NY proposal mentions police, not "mental health officials" (whoever they might be), as the one's given the power to demand access to an applicant's "social media" account passwords. It contained no mention of a judge making the decision as to whether one's (private?) "social media" activity indicated any 'mental health' "concerns" (also not specifically limited to being a danger to themselves or others). The intent seems quite clear - scare folks into not applying for a CCW permit by demanding that they allow police to examine their personal "social media" content or lose their non-refundable CCW permit application fee.

I haven't seen any details of the proposed New York State Law. If you have good for you. I think its for the people of New York State to decide.
 
I haven't seen any details of the proposed New York State Law. If you have good for you. I think its for the people of New York State to decide.

It would be best to see them before you try to tout its alleged merits. Would you favor letting (police?) "officials" view one's social media data (as part of a "voluntary" BGC?) in order to decide if they are "mentally fit" to register to vote, run for office or get a public service job? If we allow (police?) "officials" to decide who among us may fully exercise their constitutional rights then we have ceded far too much power to government.
 
No, absolutely not. This law is basically "If you've ever committed any crime, regardless of how minor, and were stupid enough to post about it on social media, you don't get to own a handgun.

it's more than that-last night, Tucker Carlson interviewed one of the main proponents. They want to ban anyone who has said anything on social media that the arbiters of politically correct thought find disturbing. It's Orwellian thought crime nonsense at its worst. The proponent brushed aside concerns over free speech by squealing that "it's about safety" and "Safety trumps all other rights"
 
No there's a reason why profile is not public lol, why can't we disarm selfs live in a peace world, why not use sarcasm to kill it's really effective

perhaps you could rephrase this
 
It would be best to see them before you try to tout its alleged merits. Would you favor letting (police?) "officials" view one's social media data (as part of a "voluntary" BGC?) in order to decide if they are "mentally fit" to register to vote, run for office or get a public service job? If we allow (police?) "officials" to decide who among us may fully exercise their constitutional rights then we have ceded far too much power to government.

Everyone has their opinion. Social media background checks are now common. I understand that connecting it with guns will cause the right to piss in its collective pants at the very mention. There isn't much chance that such a gun related law will be passed in Democrat controlled New York State. Depends on how limited or expansive the law is. I have my opinion, you are welcomed to yours.
 
I think due process would be provided under any law that might be passed. It wouldn't stand constitutional examination if it didn't. The Pittsburg Synagogue shooter left rants against Jews on social media. I can't answer a question for which there are no solid answers. The CDC has been given the green light to compile gun violence data after many years of being blocked from doing so. Maybe in a few more years of murder and mayhem we will begin to see patterns that no solid evidence is available to look at now. The right cries mental health is the issue then cries foul if a jurisdiction wants to use a tool that might catch people with mental health issues and no criminal record. Social media checks are common all across America.

Given the politics of the hierarchy of the NY Police, I suspect they would ban anyone who pointed out how arbitrary and racist the handgun licensing schemes have been in NY. Those who pointed out that Cuomo's gun schemes are idiotic and should be struck down by the federal courts, would be banned as well.
 
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