A subcommittee of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has approved a special code which would monitor transactions at gun retailers, a representative said Friday, Reuters reports.
ISO is a non-governmental organization founded in 1946 with 167 national standards bodies in membership. The organization “brings together experts to share knowledge and develop voluntary, consensus-based market relevant International Standards that support innovation and provide solutions to global challenges,” according to its website.
Amalgamated Bank has helped lead the effort to create the merchant code, the New York Times reports. The Daily Caller News Foundation was able to confirm the Reuters report Saturday.
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“Considering the application met all the criteria from ISO 18245 and no material arguments pertaining to the approval criteria outlined in the ISO 18245 standard to reject the code were made, SC9 leadership has approved this MCC application in order to comply with the standard.”
Several prominent Democrats have applauded the move.
“This approval is an important step towards improving coordination with law enforcement and preventing gun violence,” Massachusetts Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren said, according to the NYT. “In order for this new merchant code to be maximally effective, every financial institution and payment system needs to step up and put it to use.”
Senator Warren and several other lawmakers sent a letter urging credit card companies to monitor gun sale transactions Thursday.
“We write to urge American Express to support the creation of a new merchant category code (MCC) for gun and ammunition retail outlets, and to seek answers to reports that the company has obstructed efforts to create such a category,” the letter read.
Breaking News: A business standards group voted to create a special code that would flag credit card sales at gun stores, a win for gun control advocates who say it will help law enforcement officials spot suspicious purchases. https://t.co/t2CfRLlJK0
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 9, 2022
“I urge credit card companies to take the next step and flag suspicious transactions on gun and ammunition sales, like they do for fraud and money laundering,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said after ISO’s move.
* Article from: The Daily Caller
