The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) is urging American gun owners to support a new House measure that would prohibit credit card networks from assigning special Merchant Category Codes (MCC) to gun and ammunition purchases.
The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act (PPPA), introduced by freshman U.S. Rep. Riley Moore (R-WV) alongside 25 House colleagues, aims to block what gun rights advocates decry as a covert effort by gun control proponents to create a backdoor gun registry.
Under the proposed legislation, financial institutions and their agents would be barred from using any special MCC that distinguishes firearms retailers from general merchandise or sporting goods retailers. Proponents argue that such tracking mechanisms violate the privacy of law-abiding citizens making constitutionally protected purchases.
“Our hats are off to Rep. Moore and his colleagues,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Gun control advocates have tried all manner of privacy invasions over the years, and tracking personal purchases of legal, constitutionally-protected products is among the worst examples of such insidious efforts.”
READ: Illinois Judge Strikes Down FOID Card Mandate For Home Gun Ownership In Landmark Ruling
Gottlieb recalled that the push for a specialized four-digit MCC emerged during the Biden administration after the International Standards Organization approved its creation.
“It is unconscionable for financial institutions to create a system for collecting this sort of data on law-abiding citizens so that the government can monitor their activities,” he added. “It is none of anyone’s business what honest citizens buy and own, and it is certainly none of the government’s business to micromanage their lives.”
The bill’s backers contend that by banning this form of tracking, the PPPA will safeguard Americans’ privacy and prevent any expansion of government oversight into legal gun transactions.
READ: Florida, Kansas, And Louisiana Lawmakers Move To Protect 2nd Amendment Rights For Veterans
With privacy and constitutional rights at the forefront of the debate, the bill is expected to ignite further discussion on the balance between security measures and individual freedoms as the new administration takes shape.
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