Posted on 10/29/2019 6:38:20 PM PDT by DoodleBob
Because of data-mining abilities in this digital age, you may want to be mindful of posting photos of your firearms online with visible serial numbers to deter the creation of a firearms database.
Technology advances may enable your gun photos to be archived and aggregated online for searching.
While it is unknown if anyone is doing such tracking, it may be wise to ensure your serial numbers don’t show up in your firearms photos.
Recently, The Firearm Blog did an experiment on firearm photos after reading an article called “Google and Facebook Are Reading Your License Plates.”
The premise was that optical-character recognition—a process used to allow pictures showing license plates to be read and sorted—could be applied as well to photos of guns, provided the serial number shows on the photo. The Blog writer extended the search to suppressors and got hits on those and firearms.
According to the Blog, “It’s clear that the firearms community is not being singled out by this data mining operation. And no, you as an individual cannot readily lookup someone’s personal information with only firearm serial numbers. … Regardless…the knowledge of this publicly available data mine is unsettling.”
That said, it is best to not have legible serial numbers on any firearms-related photos you post on the internet or in social media images.
You may want to take the extra time to make sure that the serial numbers aren’t readable. This simple step could deter having your information compiled in a firearms database that could be used by anti-gunners.
Why post any online?
Don’t post gun pictures, period.
It is a curious situation, right? We spend zillions of dollars a year on curtains and rods, to shield peering eyes from our inner sanctum. Then, later in the day, those same people put all sorts of personal stuff online.
Exactly.
No brainer.
What guns? I don’t have any. They are black and scary and stuff.
Why would you post any of your property, not to mention your face, online?
Firearms scare me.............
A lot of folks who list firearms for sale at auction sites (GunBroker, for example) include photos in the listing. It's not uncommon for the seller to simply put a piece of tape over the serial number, before taking the photo(s)...
Why post online? To advertise for sale.
Or post random firearms pics so as to muddy the waters.
GUN PORN!!!
I don’t have an underwater camera. There was a terrible boating accident.
Motorists with decals like AR-15 silouettes, NRA logos, "Molon Labe", Punisher skulls, corinthian helmets, Gadsen flags and whatnot are probably going into a Google database.
But the covering of the serial number is a good move, and I would do it if I had any weapons. Which I don't. And wouldn't sell any of them anyway.
For more commentary on this:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3788983/posts
Member of the FRYC-—FreeRepublicYachtingClub.
I’m just glad when I buy a firearm the feds destroy their background check on me and info on my new gun (s).
My son gave me a 3 per center sticker for my truck. No way I’d dare use it as I always have my bug out bag in the truck and don’t want the extra scrutiny.
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