The attorneys general of New York and California are asking that major credit card companies begin tracking gun sales on their cards so they can report suspicious purchases to law enforcement.
The practice is being compared to how institutions look at money laundering, but it could be used to try and reduce the risk of gun trafficking and prevent mass shootings.
The companies being asked to track the sales are Visa Inc., Mastercard Inc., and American Express Co., the three leading credit card companies.
New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta both shared their request of the companies in a joint letter on Friday.
If the companies comply with the requests, it could also be expanded to other financial institutions. As Bonta and James shared in their letter, they already do so to stop money laundering and terrorism. With this action, they could also help prevent future mass shootings or gun violence.
As for the credit card companies, in their letter, the attorney generals also requested that they change the standardized four-digit codes they use to identify gun stores, separating them from other merchants to help flag suspicious patterns of transactions.
“If tracking MCCs could stop just one mass shooting or derail one gun trafficker aiming to flood the streets with guns, the change would be justified,” the two wrote.
The National Rifle Association has responded to the request by James and Bonta. Spokesman Lars Dalseide called it a biased move by the two Democrats.
“Implying that firearm purchases are suspicious demonstrates an obvious bias these attorneys general hold against anyone choosing to exercise a fundamental constitutional right,” Dalseide said.
* Article from: audacy.com
