New York City District Attorney Alvin Bragg is pushing for a nationwide ban on 3D-printed firearms in the US, with Governor Kathy Hochul unveiling a proposal during her 2026 State of the State address. The plan would require 3D printers sold in New York to be equipped with technology that blocks the production of unlicensed firearms and gun parts.
Bragg wants to make possessing, selling, or distributing digital blueprints for printing illegal guns a crime. He hopes to take this effort nationwide, "blanketing the marketplace," as he put it, reducing the need for enforcement cases. Some companies have voluntarily adopted machine learning tools that prevent printers from producing firearms, but Bragg believes legislation is necessary.
The proposal aligns with Bragg's broader goal of targeting the systems that enable gun violence, not just individual offenders. He draws a comparison to existing limits on home printers, which are restricted from producing counterfeit currency. Ghost guns, untraceable firearms lacking serial numbers and made at home, have become increasingly popular, rivaling the "iron pipeline" – the flow of illegal guns from other states – as a source of firearms on New York streets.
Bragg's office has been targeting people who sell plastic weapons and gun parts, and his investigation revealed how teenagers discovered instructional videos through YouTube's algorithm while playing "Call of Duty." The district attorney then pressed YouTube to adjust its algorithm, which the company did.
Bragg wants to make possessing, selling, or distributing digital blueprints for printing illegal guns a crime. He hopes to take this effort nationwide, "blanketing the marketplace," as he put it, reducing the need for enforcement cases. Some companies have voluntarily adopted machine learning tools that prevent printers from producing firearms, but Bragg believes legislation is necessary.
The proposal aligns with Bragg's broader goal of targeting the systems that enable gun violence, not just individual offenders. He draws a comparison to existing limits on home printers, which are restricted from producing counterfeit currency. Ghost guns, untraceable firearms lacking serial numbers and made at home, have become increasingly popular, rivaling the "iron pipeline" – the flow of illegal guns from other states – as a source of firearms on New York streets.
Bragg's office has been targeting people who sell plastic weapons and gun parts, and his investigation revealed how teenagers discovered instructional videos through YouTube's algorithm while playing "Call of Duty." The district attorney then pressed YouTube to adjust its algorithm, which the company did.
This is a game-changer, IMHO. We gotta think about public safety and reduce gun violence ASAP. It makes total sense that 3D-printed guns are a big problem - those ghost guns are basically untraceable and that's crazy! I mean, what's next? 
Companies can just print out whatever they want without any accountability? No way. I'm glad Bragg is taking action and pushing for this ban. It's not about the tech companies or individual printers, it's about keeping our streets safe. Let's do this! 
so like bragg wants to ban 3d printed guns because ghosts guns are a thing now lol i mean who doesn't love the idea of having an untraceable firearm just chillin in your basement 
he's all about blanketin the market like that's gonna magically solve everything 
. and yeah, it's cool that youtube adjusted their algorithm after bragg made them 
. guess you could say they're taking steps to curb gun violence...or just trying not to get sued 
. But, can we really trust that all 3D printers sold in the US will have this technology? It sounds like a lot of work to make sure they do 
. And what about people who already have these printers? Should they just get rid of them or pay some kind of fine? I don't know... it's definitely an interesting proposal, though 
! As a New Yorker, I gotta say it's about time we take action against these ghost guns that are wreaking havoc on our streets. It's crazy how easily they're made and sold without any oversight – it's like the Wild West out there! 
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. You can't put a price on lives saved by something like this. Alvin Bragg is totally on point here, it's about time we take action against these ghost guns 
. I mean, think about it, kids finding ways to print their own untraceable firearms on YouTube? That's wild 
. Fingers crossed it makes its way across the country 
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. I mean, who wouldn't want to be able to print their own untraceable firearms? It's like having your very own 'ghost gun' factory at home! But seriously, I get where Bragg is coming from. Gun violence is a serious issue and we need all the help we can get. Maybe this is the push we need for change... or maybe it'll just lead to people printing their own 'zombie apocalypse ready' stash 
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. And what about the people who can't afford legit firearms anyway? They might just turn to these ghost guns 
It's already scary enough with the whole ghost gun thing, where people are making their own guns without any serial numbers or tracking. And now this new proposal from Alvin Bragg is like, a step in the right direction, I guess... by requiring 3D printers to be blocked from producing firearms and stuff. But I'm all for more legislation, tbh! We need to make sure we're doing everything we can to prevent gun violence. 
no way, that's not how it works. and bragg's right, we need some kind of law to stop this from happening. the thing is, i'm all for tech companies being able to regulate themselves, but when you got a DA pushing for legislation, that's a good sign 
. If companies just voluntarily adopt this technology, that's one thing, but if we're making them install it on their own dime? It's a huge undertaking for some of these smaller 3D printer sellers who might not have the resources to do it.
it's not that hard to just disable the algorithm on YouTube or something. and what about the ones who already made their own untraceable firearms? bragg thinks legislation is gonna magically stop them from selling parts online? 
It's like something out of a sci-fi movie. But seriously, it makes sense that Bragg wants to crack down on this. Ghost guns are like a ticking time bomb 
, and we need some way to regulate these things before someone gets hurt.
. I mean, aren't those things pretty clearly different? But hey, if it means getting rid of more guns on the street, I'm all for it 
. It feels like a more comprehensive solution and it'll make a bigger impact in the long run. Plus, it's cool that some companies are already on board with machine learning tools to prevent this kind of thing 