‘Litigation Is Likely’: California Just Doxxed Thousands of Gun Owners

As part of a Democrat-led effort to “better understand the role and potential dangers of firearms,” California inadvertently leaked private information about every concealed-carry permit holder in the state.

The California Department of Justice on Monday mistakenly posted the personal details of concealed-carry permit holders when it launched its 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal. The information included the full name, birthday, race, and address of every permit holder in the state, as well as the date permits were issued, according to the Reload. Though gun-rights advocates warned that a state record of permit holders would violate the privacy of gun owners, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D.) signed a bill—which Democrats passed along party lines—authorizing the database in September.

California has some of the strictest gun laws in the country and is currently facing a crime wave. The governor and his Democratic colleagues ignored a prediction from the California Rifle and Pistol Association that the now-leaked database does little to curb violent crime. The database had been intended for state-run university research. The leak carries further significance after the Supreme Court’s move to expand concealed-carry rights, since gun owners’ privacy can no longer be guaranteed in the Golden State.

The information on the dashboard was available for download before the California Justice Department took it down on Tuesday.

In a statement given to the Reload, California Rifle and Pistol Association president Chuck Michel said his group “is working with several legislators and sheriffs to determine the extent of the damage caused by DOJ’s doxing of law abiding gun owners. Litigation is likely.”

Authorities recommend that citizens who believe their information may have been accessed by bad actors should file a police report.

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