America has a gun problem: Blockchain can help [PART 2, How Blockchain can disrupt nearly every industry]
Americans have united to speak out against gun violence. The student-led 'March For Our Lives' movement is a result of recent mass shootings in the US. Protestors demand tighter gun control.
How America stands on guns and violence:
For more charts and info, check out America’s unique gun violence problem, explained in 17 maps and charts
Mass shootings:
There have been over 1,000 mass shootings in the US since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. (source: Vox)
Here are the most deadly mass shootings in the US since 1950:
| 2017 | Las Vegas shooting | Semi-automatic rifles | |
| 2016 | Orlando nightclub shooting | Semi-automatic rifle and pistol | |
| 2007 | Virginia Tech shooting | Semi-automatic pistols | |
| 2012 | Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting | Semi-automatic rifle and pistol | |
| 2017 | Sutherland Springs church shooting | Semi-automatic rifle | |
| 1991 | Luby's shooting | Semi-automatic pistols | |
| 1984 | San Ysidro McDonald's massacre | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 1966 | University of Texas tower shooting | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 2018 | Stoneman Douglas High School shooting | Semi-auomatic rifle | |
| 2015 | San Bernardino attack | (including both perpetrators) Semi-automatic rifles | |
| 1986 | Edmond post office shooting | Semi-automatic pistols | |
| 1999 | Columbine High School massacre | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 2009 | Binghamton shootings | Semi-automatic pistols | |
| 2013 | Washington Navy Yard shooting | Semi-automatic pistol and shotgun | |
| 2009 | Fort Hood shooting | Semi-automatic pistols | |
| 1983 | Wah Mee massacre | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 1982 | Wilkes-Barre shootings | Semi-automatic rifle | |
| 1949 | Camden shootings | Semi-automatic pistol | |
| 2012 | Aurora shooting | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 2009 | Geneva County massacre | Multiple types of firearms | |
| 1975 | Easter Sunday massacre | Unknown |
How can Blockchain help?
In 2017, a Professor at Washington State University, Thomas Heston, published a paper (yet to be peer-reviewed at the time of writing) called A Blockchain Solution to Gun Control.
His abstract:
"Blockchain technology can be utilized to improve gun control without changing existing laws. Firearm related mortality is at epidemic levels in the United States and not only has a significant impact upon public health, it also creates a large financial burden. Suicide is the most common way guns kill. Through better gun tracking and improved screening of high risk individuals, this technological advance in distributed ledger technology will improve background checks on individuals and tracing of guns used in crimes."
In order for someone to buy a gun in the US, they must pass an FBI search in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). NICS is centralized which means that all of the information is stored in one place. This makes the system vulnerable to hacks and recording errors. Around 3,000 people pass the NICS background check every year who shouldn’t have.
Unlike the FBI's database, a distributed database, such as the Blockchain, would strengthen security and speed up the recording process. If you're unclear how Blockchain strengthens security, check out my Telegram channel listed below which contains some resources to help you out. I'm also a fan of this illustration:
Loose restrictions on private sales and transfers including legal restrictions that prevent the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) from digitally storing records make it difficult to trace the path of a gun.
The Blockchain would allow every gun owner would possess an electronic "safe" (comparable to a cryptocurrency digital wallet) which could be tied to biometric data or a password for access. Whenever a gun is created or part of a transaction, the record would be recorded in Blockchain's immutable ledger.
The contents of the electronic gun safe could contain pieces of information like:
- gun's identification
- history of illegal activity
- parole status
- domestic violence convictions
- mental health issues
Both parties would need to sign the transaction. If the receiver of the gun passes a background check then the transaction is verified and allowed to continue (similar mechanism to how an Ethererum Smart Contract operates). Built-in "triggers" could be integrated to flag someone who makes a transaction that, given specific factors, looks questionable.
The Blockchain could also save money, reducing the cost it takes to perform a gun trace.
Here is Thomas Heston's conclusion to A Blockchain Solution to Gun Control.
Effective gun control in the US requires the the number of guns available in society be limited in ways that are compatible with both the constitution and public health. The blockchain protocol is the most accurate system to track gun flow from manufacturer to end user, and track sales from one gun owner to another. It allows for better privacy than existing background check systems, and simultaneously link ownership of a specific gun to a specific individual in an immutable manner. A blockchain based digital gun safe would improve the implementation of existing gun laws, maintaining privacy and improving gun control. Gun control should not be viewed in isolation as a legal issue that can be solved simply by the creation of more laws. Blockchain technology, when applied to the financial systems and businesses, can potentially help create a climate where the rates of suicide and interpersonal violence are minimized.
This isn't meant to be a full fledged overview or intense argument for a Blockchain-based gun tracking system. That said, I think it has potential. I wanted to spark the conversation. So, what are your thoughts?
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