FBI Engages in Warrantless Surveillance Again – This Time Over Legal Gun Sales on Facebook

If you’re tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties, subscribe to Reclaim The Net. In a striking case bearing on privacy rights, a Texas man found himself under unwarranted surveillance by federal authorities after posting his personal firearms for sale on Facebook. The man had not violated any laws, yet the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) transferred his personal data to the FBI, which then kept him under scrutiny for six months. The exchange detailing the situation was brought to light in internal documents procured by The Epoch Times. These documents revealed that ATF staff had interrogated the man, who confessed to posting his own guns on Facebook for sale. He stated that he had a penchant for purchasing new firearms, tinkering with them, and then selling them once he lost interest. He emphasized that the sales were not for profit. Addressing the situation, Eric Olson, a lawyer affiliated with the Gun Owners of America (GOA), said he found no trace of illegal activity in the documents, the report states. The records, he pointed out, depicted an activity carried out by countless firearms enthusiasts. GOA acquired the records by way of the Freedom of Information Act litigation that it had engaged against the ATF and FBI. Olson highlighted the fact that selling a personal collection does not amount to a crime, despite ATF seeming to view the frequency of the man’s transactions with suspicion. Crucial to the story is the clandestine surveillance program that involves…FBI Engages in Warrantless Surveillance Again – This Time Over Legal Gun Sales on Facebook