The Dangers of California's Legislation to Censor 3D Printing

21 hours ago

California's bill A.B. 2047 mandates censorware on all 3D printers and criminalizes open-source alternatives.
The bill risks consumer harms like surveillance, platform lock-in, reduced innovation, and increased costs.
It criminalizes user control by making it illegal to disable or circumvent mandated print-blocking algorithms.
Manufacturers can enforce anti-consumer practices such as locking users into first-party tools and planned obsolescence.
The bill reduces consumer choice by raising barriers for new competitors and limiting second-hand market resale.
It creates a bureaucratic burden requiring the California DOJ to set standards and maintain databases of banned blueprints.
The infrastructure could expand beyond firearms to censor other content like copyright or political speech.
Impacts will extend globally as companies roll out these tools worldwide, affecting all 3D printer users.
Print-blocking is ineffective, increases cybersecurity risks, and undermines free expression and privacy.

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