The American state of New York is implementing a new strategy for checking applicants for a gun permit.
The Associated Press writes about it.
People who want to carry guns will have to provide lists of their social media accounts for a "character and conduct" check. This requirement was included in the law passed last week. It will enter into force in September. Governor Kathy Gokul signed the updated law. She noted that perpetrators sometimes post online about their intent to harm others.
But some have already had doubts about the constitutionality of such actions.
For example, the executive director of the New York Sheriffs Association, Peter Kehoe, believes that this law violates the Second Amendment, which guarantees the right of citizens to freely keep and bear firearms.
According to him, although applicants must indicate their accounts in social networks, he does not think that local officials will necessarily look at them. In addition, the sheriffs received no additional money or personnel to process this data.
"I think that would be an unconstitutional invasion of privacy," Kehoe said.
- On May 16, there was a shooting in a church in the USA — one person died and four were seriously injured.
- On May 24, a high school student opened fire at an elementary school in Texas and killed at least 15 people.
- On July 4, during the US Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago, an attacker opened fire with a rifle from the roof of a building. As a result, six people died and 24 were injured. The police arrested the suspect, 22-year-old Robert Cremo. He did not leave any manifestos and notes on the network. However, journalists found posts about other mass murders, hints of suicide and violent content in his accounts.