OK AG against tracking, monitoring firearm purchases by credit companies

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Oklahoma is joining 24 other states in speaking out against a new system that monitors and tracks the purchases of firearms.

Oklahoma Attorney General John O'Connor has joined a coalition of 24 states alerting the chief executive officers of three major credit card companies about the Merchant Category Code.

The letter was sent to the CEOs of American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.

“As Attorney General, I am called to protect Oklahomans’ constitutional rights and defend consumers from privacy intrusions,” Attorney General O’Connor said. “This new code will not protect public safety, but instead will lead to potential consumer privacy intrusions. I am fighting to keep our personal information private and to defend Americans’ right to bear arms.”

The attorneys general say the monitoring and tracking of firearm purchases creates a "list of gun buyers."

They say consumer information could be misused by those who oppose the Second Amendment, saying it could be a violation of consumer protection and antitrust laws.

“Press releases from public officials make clear that the new merchant code was created and adopted in concert with various state actors, which may additionally create the potential for both civil and criminal liability for conspiracy to deprive Americans of their civil rights,” the coalition of attorneys general wrote. “Social policy should be debated and determined within our political institutions. Americans are tired of seeing corporate leverage used to advance political goals that cannot muster basic democratic support. The Second Amendment is a fundamental right, but it’s also a fundamental American value. Our financial institutions should stop lending their market power to those who wish to attack that value.”