California Gun Owner’s Data Breached After State Unveils Firearms Portal
Gun owners with a Concealed Carry Weapon permit in California had their information — including names, addresses, and race — exposed on Monday after Attorney General Rob Bonta launched a 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal.
Available through the state’s OpenJustice Data Platform — which has since gone offline in response to the data exposure — Bonta said in a statement on Monday that the firearms dashboard would “improve transparency and information sharing” for gun-related data, including public access to data on firearms in California, and information about CCW permits and Gun Violence Restraining Orders.
“We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard,” the California Department of Justice told The Reload. “Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable.”
“We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible.”
President of the California Rifle & Pistol Association Chuck Michel told The Reload, “vindictive sore loser bureaucrats have endangered people’s lives and invited conflict by illegally releasing confidential private information.”
Michel said the association is working with several legislators and sheriffs to determine the extent of the damage caused by the doxing of law-abiding gun owners.
“Litigation is likely,” he said.
The Reload reported a database for Los Angeles County that showed the personal information of 244 judge permits, seven custodial officers, 63 people with a place of employment permit, and 420 reserved officers.
The report revealed the personal data of 2,891 people with standard concealed carry licenses in Los Angeles County.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s office confirmed that the data breach included names, ages, addresses, Criminal Identification Index numbers, and license types. Despite the state disabling access to the portal, there are concerns that bad actors have copied the information and circulated it around social media and other parts of the internet.
Twenty-four hours before the leak, Bonta said of the portal, “transparency is key to increasing public trust between law enforcement and the communities we serve.”
“As news of tragic mass shootings continue to dominate the news cycle, leaving many with feelings of fear and uncertainty, we must do everything we can to prevent gun violence,” he said. “One of my continued priorities is to better provide information needed to help advance efforts that strengthen California’s commonsense gun laws.”
He added the announcement “puts power and information into the hands of our communities by helping them better understand the role and potential dangers of firearms within our state.”
If anyone had their information compromised as a result of the data breach, the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office asks that you make an online report.
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