New York Gun Applicants Will Have Their Social Media Accounts Checked For 'Character And Conduct'

[tulipsandroses]

New York will officially begin enforcing a new law that requires gun applicants to list their social media accounts for review.
“Sometimes, they’re telegraphing their intent to cause harm to others [on social media],” Hochul noted during a press conference, according to AP News.

SNIP—————-
Peter Kehoe, the executive director of the New York Sheriffs’ Association, is unsure whether deputies will enforce the law by going through people’s social media accounts.

“I don’t think we would do that,” Kehoe said, according to AP News. “I think it would be a constitutional invasion of privacy.”
https://blavity.com/new-york-gun-applicants-have-social-media-accounts-checked?category1=blavity-u-life-style&category2=news&item=5

[ret5hd]

1. Hey Kehoe...ya' ready to be blamed for...

the first killing you could have prevented? Ready to have your name smeared? Your family shunned?

Maybe you could join all the Uvalde cops on whatever desert island they all escape to.

[Walleye]

2. He forgot the constitution doesn't have a right to privacy

Sheriffs don’t have to enforce the law if the governor is a woman, they think

[MinisterPathos]

3. Just a thought

Maybe I am a fool. But who would leave threatening posts on social media, knowing they would have to submit it?

[JesterCS]

4. MAGAs n/t

[MinisterPathos]

12. Ahhh...

Those folks.

[tulipsandroses]

6. More often than you might think

You’ve got white supremacists, gang members, domestic abusers.
Nobody ever said most of these folks were smart.
Folks might be surprised that a lot of gang warfare spills over online and gang members threaten each other, confess to assault and murder on social media.

[MinisterPathos]

10. Well thats true.

I never considered this. And honestly, who knows those scoundrels politics?

[GoodRaisin]

7. I've been openly threatened by RWNJ's on Facebook responding to my comments

on news articles. It's quite common really.

[MinisterPathos]

11. Oh my.

Social Media, much like alcohol, hard to give up. Folks hide behind it, or sometimes not, using it like a megaphone to spread their ugliness and often unhappiness with their lives.

Good thing I gave them BOTH up, a couple years ago. Much happier now. Besides my wifi connection in the camper wasnt fast enough anyways.

Much rather enjoy watching the birds and squirrels. Have a great day!

[GoodRaisin]

14. Thanks, and welcome to DU

[meadowlander]

8. Who would actually submit all of their social media accounts knowing they have dodgy shit on them?

This is just window dressing.

[skypilot]

13. IKR?

DU is about the extent of my social media participation but I would imagine one could submit their Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter stuff and leave OUT any dodgy 4Chan, sub-reddits, QAnon, etc.

[ripcord]

5. More subjective requirements

Show cause was struck down because it was subjective now they are adding more subjective requirements to make sure this winds up in front of the current SCOTUS so they can loosen more gun restrictions. Between this and the California law requiring salespeople to decide if someone should or shouldn't get a gun based on their judgement I am beginning to question the intelligence of these lawmakers.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

9. Exactly

I applaud the attempts to do something to try to weed out the crazies trying to get guns, but who gets to decide "character"?

[Initech]

15. Excellent! This should be nationwide!

[Kaleva]

16. I doubt the sheriff's of NYs red counties will bother checking.

[DVRacer]

17. This is going to backfire

What is going to wind up happening is no permit required nationwide. Most of what’s in this law is exactly what was struck down. This court doesn’t see the 2A any different than the 1ST even if we do. I have read NYSRPAvBruin fully and Roberts was trying to keep some rules about permit’s alive. I do believe this will be the end of all laws concerning permit’s, I hope I’m wrong.
This ruling is exactly why D.C. didn’t challenge their may issue law when they lost. They knew this court would strike it down nationwide and said that but NY had to push it now California is going to loose many tools to keep guns off the streets.

[Zeitghost]

18. And when you're required to submit your DU handle

Prior to protesting the next Trump campaign event? Remember that post hoping he died from COVID? Sorry, you clearly wish the candidate harm so no protest for you.


This is a slippery slope I do not want to go down. And as others have posted, it's largely window dressing unless accompanied by even more invasive information like IP addresses and service provider information. No thanks.