New York State Senate Bill S227A, currently in committee, represents an overreach that threatens individual liberty, free expression, and personal sovereignty. If enacted, it would criminalize the sharing of digital files for 3D-printed firearm parts, expand surveillance, and impose restrictive licensing. This bill undermines the principles of innovation and open information, setting a dangerous precedent for state control.
Section 265.10(10) of S227A makes it a crime to share digital files—such as CAD or STL formats—with recipients who are not properly licensed. Code is a form of speech, a means of communication and creation. Criminalizing the sharing of digital files would impose prior restraint, punishing individuals for distributing information that has not caused harm. This is akin to censoring encryption tools or whistleblowers and chills open discourse in the name of safety.
S227A also amends Section 700.05 to permit wiretaps for suspected violations of this law, even without evidence of harm or intent. This lowers the threshold for state intrusion, eroding Fourth Amendment protections. The law’s Minority Report-style pre-crime approach assumes guilt based on potential, not action, threatening privacy rights.
By defining 3D printers as tools with criminal potential, S227A creates around the ownership of technology that could be used unlawfully—even if it hasn’t been. It targets the possibility of harm, not wrongdoing, effectively criminalizing innovation and the tools that enable it.
The bill also requires individuals to obtain both a New York gunsmith registration and a federal Type 7 FFL to legally receive such digital files. This creates a bureaucratic gatekeeping system that excludes hobbyists and innovators. This is not about safety—it is about control. Knowledge should be freely shared, not restricted by the state.
S227A punishes the sharing of digital files regardless of intent or actual harm. This creates a victimless crime statute that expands government authority over thought and communication. Its vague language also threatens open-source communities, where non-lethal designs could be misinterpreted as criminal.
This bill sets a chilling precedent for state control over digital information, undermining both freedom and innovation. It must be rejected.