The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has recently outlined its zero tolerance policy when it comes to shutting down gun stores who violate the law. Documents revealed by the ATF demonstrate that for any violations of the federal firearms license, revocation is the assumed action – unless extraordinary circumstances exist. This includes knowingly transferring a firearm to a prohibited person; failing to perform a background check before transferring a firearm to a non-licensee; falsifying records or making false statements; failing to respond to an ATF tracing request; refusing to permit ATF to conduct an inspection; or allowing a straw sale of a firearm.

Aiden Johnston, director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America (GOA), has expressed concern over this new policy. “Joe Biden has weaponized the ATF against gun owners and the firearms industry in an attempt to violate the Second Amendment and expand his illegal gun registry,” Johnston said. “Rather than targeting those who display clear negligence and disregard for the law, ATF now revokes licenses without warning at the discovery of a first mistake by honest gun dealers.”

GOA also released their own report on Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requested documents which showed that through these violations, ATF had “converted nearly one billion records” into one centralized digital searchable database which included information about guns and gun owners – something that is considered illegal according to various federal laws. Furthermore, GOA noted that this database was being searched multiple times except for reported searches involving gun owners themselves.

These developments have sparked fear among many individuals who are concerned about their privacy as well as potential abuse from authorities when it comes to prosecuting individuals who may have unknowingly committed minor violations with regards to firearm laws. While there is still debate about whether such violations should be strictly enforced, there is no doubt that these new guidelines will be implemented and could lead to serious consequences for those who do not comply with them – including jail sentences up to ten years in some cases.