New York Governor Kathy Hochul has fired back at Cody Wilson, the founder of the 3D-printed gun advocacy group, over his plans to release a tool designed to bypass the state’s ban on such firearms. In a recent interview, Hochul addressed Wilson’s “Hochulization” software, which alters digital files so that 3D printers and detection systems no longer flag them as gun designs. She said Wilson can rest assured she will stay ahead of his efforts, insisting that New York’s prohibition on 3D-printed guns is lawful and necessary. Hochul argued that allowing unregulated firearms made at home would enable anyone, including those with severe mental health issues, to produce weapons without background checks or registration.
Wilson has said he intends to apply this technique to his company’s repository of over 200,000 gun design files and wants to open-source the software. The tool works by changing the hash values of the files - metadata that identifies them - so that detection algorithms do not recognize them as firearms, while leaving the actual printable product unchanged. Hochul said she is not intimidated by such defiance and that she will be the one to say no to the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction in people’s kitchens. She acknowledged the law is not perfect but defended it as a protective measure that has helped make New York one of the safest states in the country, citing low gun homicide rates.
The pushback against New York’s gun file detection requirements is not limited to Wilson. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has also raised concerns about the surveillance implications of mandating software that scans 3D printer files. Additionally, a creator in Kentucky recently highlighted the gray areas in such laws by designing an e-reader case that resembles a gun but is not functional. That case raises questions about whether regulations should target designs that merely look like weapons. Hochul responded that she wants to achieve her intended objective and will figure out how to handle such edge cases, admitting that other restrictions may become necessary.
Hochul also addressed broader worries about digital surveillance, which have emerged in the bipartisan backlash against Flock cameras, the automated license plate readers used by law enforcement. She acknowledged that public anxiety over surveillance is real and that the government must watch for excesses. She said that if Flock cameras are being abused, that behavior has to stop. Her comments come amid a national debate over how to balance public safety with privacy and the growing accessibility of 3D printing technology.
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