posted in Technology
California just passed a law forcing mandatory DRM in 3D printers
cross-posted from: lemmy.zip/post/69760899
www.theregister.com/personal-tech/2026/06/01/california-passes-ban-on-3d-printed-firearms/5249148So much for the constitution
This so broad and vague as to be unconstitutional. It’s like mandating that computers have to have technology that prevents hate speech. A 3d printer, like a computer, a hammer, a pencil, or the myriad of other tools humans use is just a general tool that can be put to good or bad uses. It would be insane to require anti-skull bashing technology for hammers and it is crazy to burden 3d printer manufacturers to develop technology to try to do this. Moreover, 3d printers are just one way to make ghost guns. A better way may be just home CNC. Instead of additive technology laying down layers of plastic one by one, with home CNC you can take a block of metal and machine it out, subtractive technology. The bill does not impact home CNC. So dumb!
What you don’t understand is that this is only about guns on the surface. This will enable every 3d printer manufacturer to harvest tons of data from everyone. To a point where the printer can not work without a connection to the server for security reasons by law.
You could buy a metal pipe and fill it with gun powder and you have a cheaper and more robust gun than a 3d printer could ever build.