NY Bill Would Require Social Media Checks for Gun Purchases
By Theodore Bunker | Friday, 23 November 2018 09:11 AM
New York may require people buying firearms to submit to a background check of their social media and search history dating back three years, ABC 7 WKBW in Buffalo reports.
State Sen. Kevin Parker, the Democratic conference whip, drafted the bill along with Brooklyn borough President Eric Adams. It “requires a person applying for a license to carry or possess a pistol or revolver or a renewal of such license to consent to having his or her social media accounts and search engine history reviewed and investigated for certain posts and/or searches over a period of 1-3 years prior to the approval of such application or renewal.”
Law enforcement would then look for "commonly known profane slurs used or biased language used to describe race, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, disability or sexual orientation; threatening health or safety of another person, or an act of terrorism."
Paul McQuillen, the director of New Yorkers Against Gun Violence’s Buffalo chapter, told WKBW that “there should be more restrictions on how guns are purchased. We should have more background checks,” and that although his group has yet to declare support for the bill, he does see how it could help.
“We’ve obviously seen some of the mass shooters have a social media history that should have sent red flags,” he said.
However, gun rights lawyer James Tresmond told the network that the bill would violate multiple constitutional rights, including “the first, the second amendment, the fifth amendment, the fourth amendment, and the 14th amendment.”
Poster Comment:
Social media accounts can be all bluster and B.S. and no facts at all.