For nearly twenty years, gun manufacturers have relied on the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to shield them from politically motivated lawsuits based on the criminal misuse of firearms. But that long‑standing protection is beginning to erode, and surprisingly, the threat isn’t coming from blue states.
It’s coming from red ones.
Idaho already saw its own version of this problem with the recent cell‑phone liability bill. But similar legislation is now appearing across Alaska, South Dakota, South Carolina, Kansas, Alabama, Arizona, and New Hampshire, creating a dangerous legal foundation that could be used to undermine PLCAA nationwide.
Gun owners need to understand what these bills do, why they’re dangerous, and who is pushing them.
The legislation centers on age verification and identity‑submission requirements for apps on Apple and Google devices. Sponsors claim the bills are about “child safety.”
But the legal structure inside these bills goes far beyond that talking point.
Under these proposals, Apple and Google could be sued because a parent failed to supervise their child, even though the harmful content was created by someone else.
This is the same liability theory anti‑gun activists have tried to use against firearm manufacturers for years.
The bills require Apple and Google to design systems that prevent all possible misuse by minors.
Once that standard exists in law, it becomes a template.
If a state can force Apple to “design away” misuse, a future legislature, especially one controlled by gun‑control advocates, can demand the same from firearm manufacturers and accessory makers. And when criminals inevitably misuse a gun, the manufacturer could be sued for failing to meet that “standard.”
This is how PLCAA protections get hollowed out from the inside.
Many conservatives supporting these bills believe they’re simply blocking harmful content from kids. But the legal precedent doesn’t stay confined to one issue.
States flip. Courts shift. And once the liability theory exists, it can be weaponized.
Virginia is a perfect example of how quickly a state can change, and how aggressively anti‑gun lawmakers will use new legal tools once they have them.
Beyond the threat to manufacturers, these bills push mass age verification for everyday digital activity.
That means handing government agencies, and potentially third‑party contractors, enormous amounts of personal data just to use basic phone functions or apps.
Gun owners should be especially wary. A system like this becomes a backdoor registry, tracking who accesses firearms‑related content, training, or communities.
According to insiders the ISAA has spoken with, the primary driver behind these bills is Meta (Facebook/Instagram).
Meta has been under intense scrutiny for harmful content accessible to minors, especially on Instagram. If Meta is truly behind this legislation, then these bills shift responsibility away from Meta and onto device manufacturers, and in the process, create legal theories that threaten the firearms industry.
Even if these bills worked as advertised, and they won’t, kids could still access harmful content through laptops, gaming consoles, or countless other devices.
So the legislation is ineffective for its stated purpose, but extremely effective at creating dangerous legal precedent.
Here are the bills already introduced:
- Alabama – HB 161 (Passed the House)
- Alaska – HB 46
- Arizona – HB 2920
- Kansas – SB 372
- New Hampshire – HB 1658
- South Carolina – HB 3405
These bills may not mention firearms, but they create the legal foundation anti‑gun states need to attack gun manufacturers, and they’re doing it with conservative support.
Gun owners cannot afford to ignore this threat.