Stop the Spread of 3D-Printed Guns
What can we do about it?
We need stronger policies, targeted interventions, and action from 3D-printing companies to combat the dangers of 3D-printed firearms.
3D-printed ghost guns are designed to avoid detection and can be made at home, often with no questions asked. People prohibited from owning firearms—including minors, felons, and extremists—can find blueprints in online communities where ideological propaganda is freely shared alongside 3D-printed firearm assembly guides.Â
How it works
Stopping the Spread of 3D-Printed Firearms
- 3D printer manufacturers and software companies should: (a) develop and implement algorithms that detect and block the printing of firearms and accessories, and (b) remove gun blueprints from their platforms.Â
- Public institutions like schools, libraries, and community tech labs should implement clear policies and software restrictions to block the printing of firearm components on 3D printers.
- State legislatures should act: (a) explicitly making it a crime to 3D print guns or to possess 3D printed guns; (b) making it illegal to publish or distribute 3D gun blueprints and enforcing that law by taking down any blueprints posted online or elsewhere; and (c) regulating 3D-printing technology in a manner that makes it impossible to use a 3D printer to make a DIY gun.Â
- Social media and other online platforms should moderate content that promotes or distributes 3D-printed gun blueprints or features instructions and advice for building 3D-printed firearms.