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

Nosler Suppressors Model 21 30 Caliber Titanium F
Nosler Suppressors Model 21 30 Caliber Titanium F

Trump Administration Moves to Streamline Suppressor Exports

Changes recently posted on the Federal Register by the Commerce Dept. and State Dept. on July 23 signal a major shift for the suppressor industry.

Review: Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44 mm Gen 2 Riflescope

The Leupold VX-5HD Gen 2 is an updated and improved version of one of the most versatile lines of hunting optics on the market.

Ammo Makers Offer Savings Through Summer Rebates

Speer, Remington and Federal Ammunition have all announced summer rebates on select ammo offerings, giving consumers a chance to save on premium defensive loads.

Three Hidden Joys of the Rifle

There is a particular jolt of joy when a shooter nestles behind a perfectly stable rifle and puts the ideal bullet exactly where intended.

New For 2026: Smith & Wesson M&P15 AXE

The new Smith & Wesson M&P15 AXE is not only the latest in the company's series of AR-style rifles, it marks the first S&W rifle to be chambered for the .300 Blackout cartridge.

The Armed Citizen® July 27, 2026

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

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.