New Jersey AG directs police departments hand over "anonymized" data on carry applications

The article critiques New Jersey’s aggressive data collection mandates on firearm permits as a continuation of unconstitutional restrictions following the Supreme Court’s *Bruen* decision. Rather than accepting the new legal reality, state officials are using administrative directives to gather extensive information on permit holders, ostensibly to inform policy but actually to reinforce systemic barriers to the right to carry. This approach reflects a broader trend among several states to bypass the spirit of the ruling through regulatory pressure and bureaucratic hurdles rather than direct legislative prohibition. This strategy is highly relevant to open data because it highlights the tension between government transparency and the surveillance of citizens exercising their rights. By centralizing permit application data, the state creates a comprehensive repository that can be used to monitor law-abiding individuals. The potential for this data to be framed as evidence of harm, despite statistical realities, demonstrates how open data initiatives can be weaponized to justify restrictive policies and erode civil liberties under the guise of public safety and administrative efficiency. Ultimately, the author argues that these measures are politically motivated posturing rather than legitimate governance. The consolidation of permit processing into a single electronic portal offers some administrative consistency, but the accompanying data collection requirements serve to intimidate and regulate rather than inform. The core implication is that without strict adherence to constitutional standards, "open data" in this context becomes a tool for state overreach, allowing officials to maintain de facto bans on firearm carriage through continuous monitoring and discretionary resource allocation.

Source: bearingarms.com
Published on 2023-06-19