A recent article at VoxelMatters, a 3D-printing publication, tells us about an effort to stop the 3D printing of firearms and firearms parts. 3DPrinterOS, a company that develops software to manage printers, worked with a university to develop algorithms that should identify gun parts. These could be used to make 3D printers than will stop print jobs if it appears that a weapon is being constructed.
“We believe that this collaboration will pave the way for safer 3D printing practices,” said Rene-Oscar Ariko, VP of Global Sales at 3DPrinterOS. “By working closely with the MIX Lab at Montclair State University, we can harness academic expertise to create a robust solution that addresses a critical issue in our society.”
While the article is short on details, largely because the collaboration is in the early stages, it isn’t hard to figure out where this kind of software might fit into the 3D printing ecosystem. That is particularly if you’re familiar with information technology, and then determine whether it would actually be able to stop people from making firearms like the FCG-9.
One place that the technology could be implemented is in the printers themselves. Akin to “smart gun” technology, a country or state could require that all printers sold or possessed be equipped with firmware that snoops the print jobs and halts any that might be weapon parts. This wouldn’t stop printing because existing printers wouldn’t be affected by import laws, and anyone could follow simple instructions on the internet to install firmwares from other countries that don’t have the anti-gun software included.
Software that looks out for gun parts could also be used on the internet for censorship. Websites could scan files looking for gun designs, and social media networks could scan images for discussions of 3D printing firearms. But, this is even weaker than printer-level censorship, largely because anyone can simply bypass such restrictions with VPNs, onion routing and dark web technology.
At the end of the day, it’s largely a fool’s errand to try to control the flow of information on the internet. Even the Chinese government recently tried to suppress news of a mass murder, but couldn’t keep the story bottled up for more than 24 hours! As is said in the movie Serenity, “You can’t stop the signal, Mal.”
“VPNs, onion routing and dark web technology.”
why do people always do this…this mysterious “dark web” or “dark web technology”.
Sounds catchy and mysterious – in reality its just the regular ole internet with internet sites and networks overlaying networks on the internet that are accessed with a different set of protocols from what the regular ole internet uses. So really its nothing fancy or mysterious or dark, its just a different set of protocols used to access these sites and networks on the regular ole internet.
For example, Tor uses a protocol called ‘onion routing’ to access a Tor network, where data is enveloped in layers of encryption (like layers of an onion, in case ya didnt get the analogy) and routes its traffic across ‘relays’ in the Tor network. You get a Tor browser, and your good to go.
The CEO of 3DPrinterOS says they aren’t looking to prevent anyone from printing anything and these measures are solely so an admin of a classroom can control what is being printed within that classroom. A claim I find bizarre since it should be easy enough to eyeball what your students are printing as the hours and hours of print time go on. Unless they have hundreds of printers running or something crazy like that. Even then these are allegedly technical students with technical minds who would just be printing from their own cheap printers and not using school equipment for non-school purposes lest they face disciplinary measures.
Meanwhile the sales VP speaks of grand societal changes stemming from this software.
So it’s either pointless programming masturbation or a genuine attempt to control our behavior.
Or Games Workshop wants to stop people printing knock-offs of their models.
New 3D Printer Software Will Call the Cops on Guns.
“Two companies are working on software that alerts the authorities if someone tries to 3D print guns or gun parts.”
h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XM-CgtryOoE
A Warning to Anyone Thinking About 3D Printing a Firearm.
“The time honored tradition of making our own firearms is under attack, not only by Government, but by Big Tech as well. Washington Gun Law President, William Kirk, gives a warning today for anyone deciding to 3D print firearms or firearms parts, as it appears that several tech companies will not only try to prevent this activity, but might report you to the authorities as well. “
(video for above from Washington Gun Law)
h ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhU9BPKgLro
Just 3d print ghost, they can find there own guns.
Joking aside it’s hard for me to imagine not being able to make anything in America you want.
I mean like yah know Elon Musk could put a nuke on his rocket ship for all we know.
Freedom
Just so long as its within governments permission.
Gun Rights Resource: Debunking The Most Common Anti-Gun Arguments.
h ttps://www.shootingnewsweekly.com/gun-nation/gun-rights-resource-debunking-the-most-common-anti-gun-arguments/
“By working closely with the MIX Lab at Montclair State University, we can harness academic expertise to create a robust solution that addresses a critical issue in our society.”
In other words we will use our “academic freedom” to deny civil rights to law abiding people.
President Eisenhower was correct, “the academy have been corrupted by federal government money.”