Implementation
A blockchain solution to gun control would work similar to current
cryptocurrency implementations of blockchain technology. First,
individuals currently owning a gun or purchasing a gun would get an
electronic gun safe, similar to a bitcoin (BTC) wallet. This wallet
would ideally be tied to biometric data such as a retina scan or
fingerprint. Whenever a gun was created, purchased or sold, the
transaction from one electronic gun safe to another would be recorded on
the blockchain in an immutable, time-stamped manner.
All transactions would require both the seller and a licensed gun dealer
to approve the sale. Similar to a multi-sig wallet, both parties would
need to sign the transfer. Similarly, prior to the transfer, the
receiver of the gun would have to pass a background check. Until this
was done, ownership could not be transferred. This would operate similar
to an Ethereum based smart contract. If they pass the background check,
the transfer is allowed, and if not, the transfer is denied and recorded
in that individual’s electronic gun safe.
Ideally, the contents of the electronic gun safe would not only include
the gun’s identification by ballistic fingerprinting or microstamping,
it would also include pertinent data about that individual. For example,
a person’s electronic gun safe could include a wide range of data such
as history of illegal activity, parole status, domestic violence
convictions, and mental health issues. This data could be embedded in
the electronic gun safe in a manner much more private than existing
databases are able to achieve. Although privacy concerns may prohibit
additional data being placed in the electronic gun safe, some countries
may find it acceptable to also embed data from Internet browsing,
similar to marketing data Facebook, Google, and Amazon currently
collect. Artificial intelligence methods similar to those used in
Internet marketing could potentially identify relevant mental health
issues, such as an obsession with gun violence as found, posthumously,
in a recent school shooter
[19,
20]. A person’s browsing information is already being extensively
tracked commercially, and this information could be incorporated into
the electronic gun safe. The No-Fly List could be incorporated into the
blockchain
[21].
An obsession with guns or gun violence may not automatically trigger a
denial of gun ownership, but it could at least trigger a more thorough
investigation of the potential buyer prior to the sale being finalized.
Total number of guns owned could be more reliably tracked. This could
potentially identify high risk individuals such as the Las Vegas
shooter, who bought 33 guns in the 12 months preceding his mass shooting
[22].
Implementing blockchain technology into gun control is both necessary
from a public health standpoint and is economically viable. Simply
creating a blockchain record of transactions would save an enormous
amount of money by decreasing the amount of labor required to perform
gun traces. Implementation would be straightforward, as the underlying
technology is already well developed. Individuals would have their own,
unique electronic gun safe which would operate similar to a BTC wallet.
Gun transactions would be similar to spending and receiving bitcoins.
Using multisig wallet and smart contract technology, the safe transfer
of guns between legal owners satisfying current laws could be reliably
performed. Privacy concerns could be achieved using anonymous technology
that has already been implemented in ZCash, Monero, and DASH.
Implementing better technology, not just more laws, is key to achieving
better gun control and reducing gun related violence.
Through the use of colored coins, the proposal laid out above could be
built on top of the established bitcoin blockchain. Colored coins bind
meta-data to a specific bitcoin transaction, effectively turning the
bitcoin into a token by “coloring” it with the meta-data. This
meta-data can contain information on assets such as guns, and additional
data describing the gun owner
[23].
Finally, putting background check information, gun transfer information,
and gun owner information onto a blockchain system, there would be a
much greater ability to determine the overall gun ownership in the US. A
gun regulatory board could then be setup to help determine and balance
the legal rights to gun ownership with the public health concerns of
excessive gun availability. This gun regulatory board could thus operate
very loosely like a central bank, limiting the importation or
manufacture of new guns when the overall number of guns in society
exceeded a certain level. Although gun ownership is a constitutional
right in the US, guns also are the agent, the vector if you will, of an
established public health epidemic. Tracking guns with advanced
blockchain protocols will to help determine overall gun burden upon
society, so reasonable gun control measures can be implemented.