Is your gun registration putting your privacy at risk?
by Sophie Hamersley

Is your gun registration putting your privacy at risk?
by Sophie Hamersley

To keep and bear arms – it is one of our core rights and freedoms as U.S. citizens. But, did you know that the gun registration information you provide to the government – including name, address and firearm information – is public and can be easily accessed by any person, publication or company willing to request or search for it?

Some states have recently allowed opt-outs to keep registry information private but it is not a straightforward process and can end abruptly (New York State’s opt-out period just closed earlier this month). Most law-abiding gun owners are left exposed to unfair invasions of privacy by this system and many don’t even know it.

Abine, the online privacy company has been helping people protect their right to privacy for years and we would like to offer you an opportunity to speak with our privacy analyst, Sarah Downey, about what gun owners can do to proactively protect their own privacy. She can share tips such as:

1) Find out your state’s gun registration laws and see if you can opt-out – Newspapers have published the names and addresses of gun owners, allegedly making one elderly gun owner the victim of home invasion, putting others at risk and twisting the gun rights debate.

2) Do a search of popular online data broker sites like Intelius and Spokeo to see if you are listed and request the removal of your information if you are. These sites aggregate personal photos and information that could put owners and family members at risk of fraud, or even life-threatening harms.

3) Be careful with your online behavior – Online behavior, including comments left in forums and whether or not you ‘like’ a gun rights organization on Facebook, can be tracked and aggregated in databases. Adjust your privacy settings on social networks and stop online tracking with a browser add-on like DoNotTrackMe to keep your online activity private.