A California appeals court ruled Friday that the state may continue sharing the personal information of gun owners with “gun violence” researchers.
California’s Department of Justice had been permitted to share “identifying information of more than 4 million gun owners” collected by the state during the background check process for firearms purchases with “qualified research institutions,” ostensibly to aid in the study of gun-related accidents, suicides and violence.
The information sharing was authorized by new law, Assembly Bill 173, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021, according to The Associated Press.
California’s DOJ was permitted to share “names, addresses, phone numbers, and any criminal records, among other things” under the new regulation.
The AP didn’t note how much of that information had already been shared with researchers, but apparently at least some sharing had occurred, since the outlet reported the state attorney general’s intention to “resume” the provision of it to unspecified researchers.
Hellbound and Down 