Cyber Snooping On Gun Owners

by
posted on October 15, 2013
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
on-guard_F.jpg

There’s nothing funny about the NSA collecting contact lists and information from Internet sites, so pardon my lack of humor. Americans are being targeted, and the administration signed a U.N. Gun Treaty with serious ramifications to the Second Amendment last month.

The sky isn’t falling, but the cloud cover is getting pretty low for gun owners. No one in their right mind cares if the NSA can efficiently mine the Internet for information that could stop a terrorist attack, but it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out one of the keyword searches they’re using is “firearm.”

OK, the offshore sites doing this may have turned up my post about the antique Stevens shotgun I inherited. Odds are good the “lead” would have been deleted, unless of course it hit the desk of someone who doesn’t know guns, or a person in a bad mood, or an overworked snoop who missed the delete key while scouring 44,000 e-mail addresses from Yahoo on that single day.

I don’t have much to hide, so I’m not overly concerned. But then again, I don’t have plans to vacation in any of our anti-gun NATO ally nations-who for all I know will have unlimited access to cyberspace’s mother lode. But when a parent’s innocent firearm-related post on Facebook  results in a visit from child protective services, it may be time to rethink some things.

Do I really want a snot-nosed, wet-behind-the-ears kid whose sole claim to fame is top-score in Tetris trying to figure out if my 100-year-old 12-gauge shotgun should be of concern? I haven’t quite figured that one out yet.

On one hand it scares me. No more annual holiday cards with the grandkids guarding the house while wearing reindeer camo. No more hunting photos, new gun announcements, ammo shortage complaints or sharing of the daily prayer. Let’s face facts: Privacy settings are just a suggestion to government hackers.

On the other hand, I think it’s too late for me. If you’re in the same boat, why not annoy the heck out of them with so much garbage it makes their heads spin, like on the Exorcist-odd that movie comes to mind right now.

Latest

Gotw Rra Lar 22 Tactical Carbine Web
Gotw Rra Lar 22 Tactical Carbine Web

Gun Of The Week: Rock River Arms LAR-22 Tactical Carbine

This week, we're on the range with the Rock River Arms LAR-22 Tactical Carbine, a rimfire variant of the AR-15 that's designed for reliability and gives enthusiasts a way to shoot affordably.

The Armed Citizen® July 11, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Japanese Last-Ditch Small Arms Of World War II

The crude assortment of fighting tools used by the Japanese during World War II give clues of an unprepared and unmatched last-ditch fight that ultimately lead to Allied victory.

Federal Ammunition Awards 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships

Federal Ammunition recently awarded the 2025 Tom Knapp Memorial Scholarships to two 4-H shooting sports teen ambassadors.

2025 Optic Of The Year: Burris Eliminator 6

Even as new generation after new generation of Burris Eliminator continued to add more advanced technology and functionality, it remained odd-looking—until the launch of this year’s sixth-generation product, which is the first in the line that can mount atop a rifle using standard 34 mm scope rings.

I Have This Old Gun: Star Model B

Of the many Spanish-made firearms to emerge throughout the 19th and 20th century, one of the most recognizable is the Star Model B, largely due to its similarity to the Colt Model 1911.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.