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A group in Washington is promoting an initiative to reduce gun crime by using laser-etched bullets to track shooters. According to their website, the data will only be used for legitimate investigations (no datamining) and secured with "recursive verification" features (sounds like a blockchain). Washington state already requires ammunition purchasers to produce valid ID when making purchases. Googling reveals that previous efforts by state legislatures to enact similar legislation have been torpedoed by the gun lobby. Initiatives are not subject to lobbying, so it should be interesting to see how the opposition tackles this campaign.
http://dosomethingwa.org
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-guns-ammunition-idUSBRE90J02K20130120
http://igg.me/at/dosomethingwa
(Score: 3, Touché) by Username on Wednesday February 10 2016, @09:49AM
You’re assuming the criminal isn’t going to melt the numbers off like they do on the guns.
(Score: 3, Touché) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday February 10 2016, @11:47AM
Way too difficult. Easier to just not buy your ammo in Washington. It's not that long of a drive to Idaho from anywhere in the entire state to stock up on anonymous ammo.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by VLM on Wednesday February 10 2016, @12:36PM
The other alternative of "not buy in WA" is shoplift or outright steal.
Someone who is planning on very serious criminal activity is not going to be scared off by mere shoplifting.
(Score: 2) by Gravis on Wednesday February 10 2016, @10:23PM
Someone who is planning on very serious criminal activity is not going to be scared off by mere shoplifting.
well there are ways around that but just because a system is not 100% effect does not mean it's worthless. i mean, if that was the case, nobody would use computers.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday February 11 2016, @03:45AM
Important details missing from your post:
Criminal laws that are highly (risibly) ineffective, ludicrously easy to circumvent, place a burden on the public and interfere with fundamental rights are not worthless.
They have a vast negative worth, and should be avoided like the plague.
This bears all the hallmarks of political thinking: SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ... this is something, therefore we must do it.
Other posters have already pointed out the massive barn door sized holes in this plan, but I might be the first to point out that the supreme law governing this kind of legislation is the law of unintended consequences.
Perhaps the most damning thing I can say about these politicians is: "Well, they MEAN well."
(Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday February 10 2016, @03:49PM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 2) by Sir Finkus on Wednesday February 10 2016, @04:04PM
Yeah, I am because the number is etched on the back of the bullet and would require that it be pulled out, filed, then reinserted.
Join our Folding@Home team! [stanford.edu]