California gun owners’ personal information have been leaked by the California Attorney General’s office, putting them at risk.
A livestream conducted by the California Department of Justice’s 2022 Firearms Dashboard Portal on Monday with publicly-accessible files including the detailed identifying information of gun owners who have concealed carry permits.
The data that was leaked includes the individuals’ full name, home address, date of birth, race and the date when their permit was issued.
The livestream also revealed individuals’ data, showing the type of permits that were issued that indicate whether the permit holder is a member of law enforcement or a judge.
In a report released by The Reload, they confirmed to have found 244 judge permits listed in the Los Angeles County database.
“The files included the home addresses, full names, and dates of birth for all of them. The same was true for seven custodial officers, 63 people with a place of employment permit, and 420 reserve officers.” The Reload wrote.
Although the database appears to have some duplicate entries, the dashboard leak has also compromised the private information of the 2,891 people in Los Angeles County with standard licenses.
According to The Reload video review, “the databases with detailed information were initially available for download via a button on the website’s mapping feature. They appeared to have been removed from public access by Tuesday afternoon and replaced with spreadsheets without the individualized identifying information.”
Moreover, following the accidental leak of information, the office of Attorney General Rob Bonta (D.) admitted that there was indeed private information that had been exposed. He also said that they are examining the situation.
“We are investigating an exposure of individuals’ personal information connected to the DOJ Firearms Dashboard. Any unauthorized release of personal information is unacceptable. We are working swiftly to address this situation and will provide additional information as soon as possible,” said the spokesperson for the office.
The California Rifle & Pistol Association (CRPA) also blasted the department for leaking the gun owners’ personal information and made it clear that the association was looking into potential legal action against the state.
“Vindictive sore loser bureaucrats have endangered people’s lives and invited conflict by illegally releasing confidential private information. CRPA is working with several legislators and sheriffs to determine the extent of the damage caused by DOJ’s doxing of law abiding gun owners. Litigation is likely.” Chuck Michel, CRPA President said.
