A coalition of firearm owners is pressing federal regulators to investigate whether the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the gun industry’s chief lobbying group, covertly exploited consumer data for political purposes, despite publicly promoting itself as a defender of privacy.
In a formal appeal submitted to three federal agencies, Gun Owners for Safety is demanding accountability over a long-running data-sharing operation first exposed by a ProPublica report.
That investigation revealed that for years, the NSSF quietly received personal details from gun buyers, collected by manufacturers, without informing those individuals that their information would be funneled into a political targeting effort.
The group’s letter, sent to the FBI, Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), described the practice as “underhanded” and deceptive.
Malcolm Smith, a longtime gun owner and member of the group, underscored the nonpartisan stakes of the issue. “Gun owners’ privacy is not a partisan or ideological issue,” he wrote. “No matter the industry, exploiting customers’ private data like their underwear size and children’s ages in a secret scheme is reprehensible and cannot be permitted.”
Gun Owners for Safety, backed by the gun violence prevention group Giffords, operates across nine states and is composed of firearm owners who support tighter safeguards around gun ownership, including safety measures and enhanced background checks. The organization was launched in 2019 under the leadership of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, a gun violence survivor.
Regulatory responses to the complaint have been minimal so far. The ATF confirmed receipt of the letter but offered no additional comment. The FBI, FTC, and NSSF remained silent when approached by ProPublica for statements.
Though the NSSF is less widely known than the National Rifle Association, its influence spans the firearms business ecosystem, representing manufacturers, shooting ranges, ammunition retailers, and industry publishers.
The organization defended its actions when questioned previously, asserting that all data collection adhered to legal agreements and the terms of service of participating entities.
But revelations from the ProPublica report suggest a much broader, less transparent operation. The investigation uncovered that several major gun companies, including Remington, Glock, and Smith & Wesson, had passed along customer data such as names and addresses to the NSSF.
Those records formed the backbone of a vast database that was ultimately repurposed to mobilize political support for pro-gun candidates during national elections.
Privacy researchers consulted in the report flagged potential violations of both state and federal consumer protection statutes, pointing out that businesses are legally required to abide by their own privacy policies and cannot mislead customers about how their information will be used.
