Freedom, not Farmed

Growing concerns globally about 3D printing laws have sparked a range of feelings from concern to outrage over new and proposed laws that effectively turn 3D printers into data collection endpoints for governments.

The laws in question would force 3D printer manufacturers to shut down, until/unless it becomes practical (and profitable) for them to convert printers to be able to scan gcode for firearms components.

Of course the hype, confusion and concern around this making these laws even viable now is attacks like the one in Halle, that literally no one talks about or references. Everyone references the handful of handguns found in some guy's apartment that were super scary. Or the ones some guy made while dwelling in his doomsday bunker in an abandoned storm drainage system.

Homemade Firearms Used In Halle Attack

Several improvised / homemade weapons were employed in an attempted attack on a synagogue in Halle, Germany on Wednesday during Yom Kippur.

FirearmblogImproGuns

The problem, in a nutshell is that even if this law or some version of it were passed, state by state, or nationwide, there is no known technology, even AI-assisted, that could make this possible. If these laws pass, it will deadline all manufacturing with additive and subtractive methods, globally. There are no known technologies that can determine a functional firearm lower and upper from a replica or simulated/prop device, which are perfectly legal to make practically everywhere. It would cause pretty much every company except for the monolithic ones, to go out of business or to shift production to something that isn't hamstrung by these laws.

Slicers and basically any gcode sending software would have to be updated, considering you can mill, 3D print, and even machine-by-hand, many versions of firearms.

Remember zip guns? Actual machine guns and a broad range of firearms made from traditional machining methods, dating back to WW2 (and before).

That is, before computerized milling / 3D printing of any kind were even invented yet.
If these bills actually pass, your band saw and drill press may be on track to become permit-only devices.

Bear in mind the stats for shootings related to "ghost guns" is still at the bottom of the ocean on the graph.

But of-course, this is part of a greater concern, as Loyal Moses as well as a host of other 3DP enthusiasts and content creators have stated, this is part of a massive data-collection effort, to turn your 3D printers into sensor platforms to spy on you in your own homes and businesses.

Even if works with offline-only printers, it is entirely possible for slicers on networked computers to communicate "home" and upload data from the host machine, effectively turning your PC / mobile devices into sensor platforms as well, at the behest of your government.

And again, this will only stop law-abiding citizens buy and large.... and the occasional knob who thinks it's a good idea to test fate.

It will do nothing to stop people on non-networked computers with printers that have custom firmware (something 3DP enthusiasts do every day) from 3D Printing whatever they want whenever they want on filament they made from trash bottles on machines they made from discarded hardware and a computer board they cobbled together and programmed themselves. (remember, this is where we started not so long ago)

This is a MASSIVE overreach and sets a dangerous precedent. Anyone who values their privacy and individual freedoms should be concerned.