Discover Credit Card to Monitor Gun-Related Purchases
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Written by UnitegGunGroup
Discover credit card holders will soon have their gun-related purchases monitored and potentially reported to the government. The company announced that it will implement a new merchant category code (MCC) to track purchases at gun stores, with the express purpose of monitoring and reporting any suspicious activity to authorities. Discover will begin surveillance of gun shop purchases in April.
It remains unclear how Discover will determine which purchases are sufficiently suspicious to warrant reporting, or what information, if any, customers will be provided when they trigger an alert.
The MCC can only inform a credit card company that a certain amount of money was spent at a firearm retailer. It cannot track what was actually bought, much less determine why the purchase was made. This program inherently poses a risk to consumers of needlessly intrusive and harassing consequences for completely lawful and innocent conduct.
The use of MCC to monitor gun-related purchases is part of a larger effort by gun control advocates to suppress any firearm-related commerce. Policy-makers have taken notice, and some are taking action to block implementation of the new MCC in their states.
Credit cards are a necessity in the modern economy, especially when transacting online. Gun owners should not have to fear scrutiny or harassment for their lawful purchases. The NRA is working with its allies in the industry and legislatures to protect firearm-related commerce from suppression by activists in and outside of government.
It remains unclear how Discover will determine which purchases are sufficiently suspicious to warrant reporting, or what information, if any, customers will be provided when they trigger an alert.
The MCC can only inform a credit card company that a certain amount of money was spent at a firearm retailer. It cannot track what was actually bought, much less determine why the purchase was made. This program inherently poses a risk to consumers of needlessly intrusive and harassing consequences for completely lawful and innocent conduct.
The use of MCC to monitor gun-related purchases is part of a larger effort by gun control advocates to suppress any firearm-related commerce. Policy-makers have taken notice, and some are taking action to block implementation of the new MCC in their states.
Credit cards are a necessity in the modern economy, especially when transacting online. Gun owners should not have to fear scrutiny or harassment for their lawful purchases. The NRA is working with its allies in the industry and legislatures to protect firearm-related commerce from suppression by activists in and outside of government.