Gov. Brian Kemp (R-Ga.) and Gov. Bill Lee (R-Tenn.) this week passed the Second Amendment Privacy Act, which would ban the use of credit card merchant codes to collect data on retail firearms buyers. signed.
Kemp signed HB 1018 on Monday, and Lee Signed SB 2223 on tuesday. Their signature brings the total number of states protected by Second Amendment privacy laws to 14.
On February 13, 2024, Breitbart News reported that Visa, Mastercard, and American Express are implementing special merchant codes to track gun and gun-related purchases in California.
CBS News report The new merchant code will be used to comply with “California law authorizing banks.” To potentially track suspicious gun purchases and report it to law enforcement. ”
This comes after major credit cards adopted and withdrew plans to use new merchant codes to track gun and gun-related purchases nationwide.
On September 11, 2022, Breitbart News noted that Visa bowed to pressure from gun control groups and the New York Democratic Party and agreed to flag gun and ammunition purchases through seller codes. The Associated Press reported that Mastercard and other major credit card companies have also agreed to report gun sales.
On March 2, 2023, Breitbart News reported that Discover plans to begin tracking gun and ammunition purchases using new Merchant Category Codes (MCC) in April 2023. The news gave momentum to the left, but it was countered by a wave of backlash. among conservatives.
On March 9, 2023, Breitbart News reported that Visa and Mastercard reversed course amid backlash and announced they would no longer track gun and ammunition purchases.
But a new California law that goes into effect in 2025 will require credit cards to track guns and gun-related sales starting in 2025.
In addition to Georgia and Tennessee, other states that prohibit such point-of-sale data collection include Iowa, Kentucky, Wyoming, Indiana, Utah, Texas, Florida, Idaho, and Mississippi. states, Montana, North Dakota, and West Virginia.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and also writes Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment for Breitbart News. He is also a writer and curator. He is a political analyst for Armed American Radio and a professional staff member for Pulsar Night Vision. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and completed his Ph.D. Military history focusing on the Vietnam War (Brown Navy), the U.S. Navy since its inception, the Civil War, and early modern Europe. Beef is his favorite vegetable. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. To get Down Range, you can sign up at breitbart.com/downrange. Please contact us directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
