Washington state proposes new 3D-printed gun controls with 'blocking features' and blueprint detection algorithm — proposal would carry sentences of five years in prison, $15,000 fine for violation
As 3D-printed firearms become a growing concern, Washington is the latest state to propose laws designed to curb the proliferation of such armaments. The new bill, seen for a first reading at the house level last week, would seek to prevent "the unlawful manufacturing of firearms by requiring three-dimensional printers be equipped with certain blocking technologies."
Bill HB 2321 would mean that after July 1, 2027, no 3D printer manufacturer or vendor would be allowed to sell a 3D printer in the state unless said device is equipped with "blocking features" that prevent the 3D printer from printing firearms and illegal firearm parts. According to the bill, these software controls would be required to "effectively" reject print requests for such parts with "a high degree of reliability" and also prevent users from bypassing any such tool. Per the definition laid out in the bill, the blocking features are described as "a firearms blueprint detection algorithm."
To comply with this new proposed legislation, 3D printer manufacturers could apply one of three possible solutions via software to ensure compliance: integration of a firearms blueprint detection algorithm in a 3D printer's firmware, integrated preprint software design that includes the algorithm, or handshake authentication design.
All three are explained in more detail in the bill, but arrive at broadly the same destination. This law, if approved, would prevent 3D printer brands from selling their wares in Washington State without stringent controls to prevent the printing of 3D firearms, or indeed parts that could be used to modify existing weapons.
According to the bill, violating this proposed law would be a class C felony, which means anyone found in violation of these terms could face up to five years in prison and a $15,000 fine.
Washington is not the first state to propose addressing 3D-printed firearms by way of legislation, and is unlikely to be the last. Earlier this month New York took steps to ban 3D-printed guns, proposing the mandating of 3D printer safeguards and cracking down on the sharing and possession of 3D files containing guns or gun components.
Stephen is Tom's Hardware's News Editor with almost a decade of industry experience covering technology, having worked at TechRadar, iMore, and even Apple over the years. He has covered the world of consumer tech from nearly every angle, including supply chain rumors, patents, and litigation, and more. When he's not at work, he loves reading about history and playing video games.
Proposal proposed by people who don't understand how technology works.
There's anti-counterfiting in (some) printers and scanners (and copiers), but it relies on detecting specific patterns of dots that were then placed in the design of all currencies.
I do hope they don't expect makers of already shady 3D printer gun designs are going to obligingly place some special dots or equivalent in their designs. So the printer blocks a design, one moves some decorative bit a mm and it's not on the blocklist. Or use older drivers or firmware that have a very minimal blocklist (or firmware that doesn't have one at all.). And Ilm sure if it's doing some live check one can futz with that connection.
I'm pro gun rights, barring 3D printed guns is fine by me though. But this isn't the way to do it.
I understand the need to protect people from ghost guns. I just hope this legislation doesn't get out of hand and ban all things gun related. I design cos play guns from video games and I make alot of prints.
I don't see any way this will work. How is the software know the difference between a Nerf blaster piece and a piece for an actual gun? I can also see a lot of cheep Chinese companies putting in some "gun" prevention that stops one or two files to get on the allowed list then just move forward and ignore everything else.
This is just going to drive up the cost of 3d printers in Washington if you can even find one that can comply with the proposed law. They should try to enforce the existing laws instead of making new ones! I live in Washington state and it is turning into third world with massive drug use everywhere. I hear motor cycles exceeding 100 mph every day and constant explosions and automatic gunfire at all hours of the day.
This is just going to drive up the cost of 3d printers in Washington if you can even find one that can comply with the proposed law. They should try to enforce the existing laws instead of making new ones! I live in Washington state and it is turning into third world with massive drug use everywhere. I hear motor cycles exceeding 100 mph every day and constant explosions and automatic gunfire at all hours of the day.
Just drive to a neighboring state (one without such asinine rules), buy a 3d printer and drive it home. Problem solved.
Just drive to a neighboring state (one without such asinine rules), buy a 3d printer and drive it home. Problem solved.
Yeah having it be state-specific makes the whole thing even sillier. You'd almost certainly be able to buy the 3D printer in Washington and just flash different firmware onto it.
Since taking a bullet in a senseless shooting, I have always believed in strict gun laws.
Control the sale of ammo. Afaik, ghost guns use real ammunition, not 3D printed bullets.
It's a fools' errand to seek control through computing. Firmwares like Klipper and Marlin are open source, so ghost gun monitoring code can and will be removed. Probably lots of users with no interest in printing guns will find such code a nuisance that impairs their machines' functioning. Putting the onus on Chinese manufacturers to resolve the ghost gun problem is unfair because there is very little or nothing they can do. It won't surprise me when ghost guns are used as a pretext for banning import of Chinese 3D printers (like recent DJI ban on a similarly flimsy pretext).
Forum's like Thingyverse should make a good faith effort to keep ghost gun models off their servers, but that could be hard to keep up with. Besides, I'm sure there are private forums, dark web forums, etc., where troves of models and data can be found easily.
I think the real priority is to regulate real guns and real ammo. Countries that have strict gun laws, Japan for example, have very little gun violence. In the US we have loose gun laws and a lot of gun violence.
Ultimately, the code that needs to be changed is not a computer's code, or any legal code, but the code of our human hearts. The human programming that dictates violence as a solution to problems needs to be replaced with code that dictates communication and empathy and a sincere will to work out differences peacefully. No, I'm not holding my breath waiting for everyone to get "woke" . . .
