Gun Buyers Shouldn't be Required to Share Social Media with Police, ACLU Says
*By Amanda Weston*
A new bill in Illinois would require potential gun buyers to reveal their public social media accounts to state police. The ACLU is now speaking out against the idea, citing privacy and bias concerns.
"The things that social media would show are one's political views, perhaps one's religion, and even in some instances someone's race," Edwin Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at ACLU of Illinois, told Cheddar.
"And you know, how are those things then going to factor into that decision about whether or not to let someone purchase a firearm? It's just not something that really provides additional information that's useful, and at the same time provides an invasion into someone's personal beliefs that just isn't required for this purpose."
Yohnka said social media typically doesn't reveal more relevant information ー like a potential buyer's arrest record or whether there are restraining orders against that person.
The bill from Illinois State Rep. Daniel Didech comes just before the one-year anniversary of the fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. After the attack, [disturbing posts](https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/14/us/nikolas-cruz-florida-shooting-suspect/index.html) on the accused shooter's social media came to light.
“A lot of people who are having mental health issues will often post on their social media pages that they’re about to hurt themselves or others,” the Illinois Democrat told [CBS Chicago](https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/02/06/gun-law-bill-social-media-illinois-background-foid/). “We need to give those people the help they need.”
But Yohnka pointed to the state's ["red flag" law](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/fulltext.asp?DocName=&SessionId=91&GA=100&DocTypeId=HB&DocNum=2354&GAID=14&LegID=102977&SpecSess=&Session=), under which family members, law enforcement, and roommates can petition a judge to allow authorities to temporarily take guns away from those who are found to pose a danger to themselves or others.
"There is a vehicle and a mechanism for protecting the public in that particular case, as opposed to this general sort of sweeping thing of looking through everybody's data," Yohnka said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/aclu-concerned-about-illinois-bill-requiring-potential-gun-owners-to-reveal-social-media-to-police).
Today is Veterans Day, a day each year that gives us a chance to honor our service members and reflect on the issues they face in our armed forces. One issue that's gotten a lot of scrutiny recently is the handling of sexual assault cases in the military. The military has long been criticized for how it handles cases of sexual assault, with particular attention paid to how cases are investigated and prosecuted usually within the chain of command. The defense department has said sexual assault cases will be removed, but it's not the same as Congress changing the law itself.
Lory Manning, retired U.S. Navy captain and the director of government operations at the Service Women's Action Network, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Greenwood, a digital banking platform aimed at supporting Black and Latino businesses and clients, is launching its very own GreenBook. Named after the historic publication for Black travelers during the era of Jim Crow, the online guide will provide a directory of Black- and Latino-owned businesses across the country. Ryan Glover, the founder and chairman of Greenwood, joined Cheddar to provide additional details about the listings.
President Biden's infrastructure plan will be pumping billions of dollars into the EV sector. David Shepardson, Correspondent at Thomson Reuters, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to break down all of the details.
Al Root, Senior Writer at Barron's, joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Jill Wagner to break down who qualifies for the proposed EV tax credits and why some automakers aren't too pleased about extra incentives for vehicles made at union plants.
Jill Wagner is joined by Baker to talk about kids and vaccines: we finally know how many young kids are getting vaccinated. Plus, Democrats are working on a Plan B for paid family leave. And the salad chain Sweetgreen goes public.
A breakthrough deal between the U.S. and China when it comes to climate has finally been reached. The two countries have pledged to work together to curb carbon emissions. Amy Harder, executive editor at Cipher, joined Cheddar News to discuss more.
President Joe Biden is expected to visit GM's 'Factory Zero' plant in Detroit, where mass production of its electric vehicle fleet will get underway. Biden is likely to tout his recently passed $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan, which allocates $7.5 billion toward EV infrastructure.
Jill is joined by “Friend of the Pod” Mosheh Oinounou to talk booster shots, and whether “fully vaccinated” will eventually mean three shots, not two. Plus, the latest on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial. And the research is in: we know now the perfect way to hug. Also, Jill and Mosheh debate whether Airpods are passé.
A deal was reached as the COP26 Summit in Glasgow came to a close. Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Chief Scientist at the Nature Conservancy and Author of 'Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World,' joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss the deal.
