Big Brother Wants to Move In

If you think it’s a joke, think again.

Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) wants every single firearms and ammo transaction to be videotaped.

The bill would “require a licensee to ensure that it’s business premises are monitored by video surveillance that, among other requirements, visually records and archives footage of every sale or transfer of a firearm or ammunition, in a manner that makes the facial features of the purchaser clearly visible in the recorded footage.”

There have always been a lot of goofy ideas that come out of the Legislature, and this one’s near the top of the nonsense chart.   For all those liberals who buy guns but don’t want anyone to know, as Bobby “The Waterboy” Boucher says, “So that’s what opening up a can of whoop-a** feels like….”

GOC wonders how they will feel about having their faces videotaped – and from all angles no less!

AB 2459 requires surveillance everywhere – all places where firearms and ammunition is stored, displayed, carried…as well as all exterior surroundings, including parking lots.

Seriously, though – this is way bigger than some problem a celebrity might encounter in the aftermath of purchasing a gun – this will impact the privacy for all of us.  Make no mistake – the everyday, law abiding gun owner is no less special than someone in the public spotlight.  We deserve privacy just as much – if not more.

And this is not just an issue of privacy – it’s also an issue of security.

According to Forbes, a security researcher discovered it’s just not that hard to hack a video surveillance system—or more specifically the network video recorder to which it’s attached.  The “research uncovered flaws in D-Link DNR-322L and DNR-326 NVR devices that expose the surveillance system to denial-of-service, information disclosure, and other critical flaws—all without requiring authentication. The cameras and NVRs are typically connected to the Internet by design, and these critical vulnerabilities enable an attacker to hack into the system remotely from anywhere in the world.“

Wired Magazine has also reported on this, revealing some scary research about popular surveillance cameras being so open to hackers.

Three of the most popular brands of closed-circuit surveillance cameras are sold with remote internet access enabled by default, and with weak password security — a classic recipe for security failure that could allow hackers to remotely tap into the video feeds, according to new research….Wired Magazine

And then – to discover that the United States – the beacon of the world in all things technological – is actually one of the most insecure nations when it comes to security cameras, the issue is really brought home. There are some truly creepy things one can find online on how to fiddle with a security monitor.

…the U.S. is still number one by having more insecure security cameras than any other nation in the world, and anyone with an Internet connection can peer into the owners’ businesses, homes, and even the privacy of bedrooms.   Network World

Assemblyman McCarty believes that his legislation will protect us from the vast problem of firearm straw purchasers – which are rare, of course – especially given the number of guns purchased and transactions recorded.

Don’t you feel safer already?