Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act Shields Gun Store Customers from Surveillance via MCC Codes
WASHINGTON—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, yesterday introduced the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, legislation to protect gun store customers by blocking unconstitutional surveillance via Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) Codes that unlawfully track gun store purchases.
“Merchant category codes should never be used to track and surveil gun store customers,” said Senator Hagerty. “If this alarming overreach isn’t stopped here, radical leftists won’t just target gun owners—they’ll weaponize the financial system against anyone who makes a purchase that doesn’t conform to their agenda. This bill is critical to preventing the politicization of MCC codes and securing the civil liberties of law-abiding Americans.”
Background:
The Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act builds upon Hagerty’s commitment to defending Americans’ constitutional rights from politicized and abusive overreach.
In September 2022, Hagerty criticized the President and CEO of Amalgamated Bank for its efforts to use MCC codes to target gun store customers.
In February, Hagerty grilled Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on reports that the Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network coordinated with financial institutions to monitor for “extremist indicators,” including lawful transactions at stores that sell firearms.
Full text of the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act can be found here.
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