{"id":213918,"date":"2025-03-11T11:41:26","date_gmt":"2025-03-11T16:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=213918"},"modified":"2026-01-02T06:04:41","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T12:04:41","slug":"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/","title":{"rendered":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The Gun Owners of America (GOA) just dropped a bombshell: thanks to a recent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request, it\u2019s now confirmed that the ATF has been spying on gun forums, social media, and online communities for over a decade. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>ATF\u2019s Widespread Online Surveillance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 35-page FOIA document GOA obtained reveals that since at least 2015, the ATF has been tracking legal and illegal firearm sales, keeping tabs on popular online gun forums, and even monitoring Reddit and Facebook groups. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to the ATF\u2019s own intelligence assessment, they continue to track gun owners even after they determine there is no criminal activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>SEE ALSO: <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/the-sig-p938-sigs-forgotten-gem\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\" title=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\">The SIG P938 \u2013 SIG\u2019s Forgotten Gem<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FOIA Reveals ATF Surveillance On Social Media\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2LZt9flsx_E?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-atf-surveillance-targets-law-abiding-citizens\"><strong>ATF Surveillance<\/strong> <strong>Targets Law-Abiding Citizens<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ATF\u2019s report is full of misstatements of federal law and outright hostility toward private gun ownership. Some of the biggest takeaways from GOA\u2019s findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The ATF considers Craigslist, AR15.com, and even Facebook gun groups as &#8220;unregulated marketplaces&#8221; that need more government oversight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They claim that gun owners who value privacy are more likely to be engaged in illegal activity\u2014a ridiculous and dangerous assumption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They openly criticize Congress for allowing private firearm sales and suggest the government should have more control over these legal transactions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even when no crime is found, the ATF continues <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/everytown-celebrates-new-banking-codes-to-track-gun-purchases-monitor-gun-owners\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\" title=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2342\">monitoring gun owners<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The ATF\u2019s Zero-Tolerance Harassment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most disturbing parts of GOA\u2019s investigation is the connection to an ATF inspector, Nicholas Speranza Jr., who was previously caught illegally seizing records and harassing gun store customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He was a key player in the ATF\u2019s zero-tolerance policy. Which has been used to shut down FFLs over minor clerical errors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GOA previously stopped the ATF from shutting down <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kilotontactical.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\" title=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\">Kiloton Tactical<\/a>, a Florida-based gun store, after Speranza illegally seized their records. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fact that he\u2019s also tied to the ATF\u2019s online surveillance program shows just how deep this anti-gun agenda runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Happens Next?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/northam-fires-back-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\" title=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\"  data-wpil-monitor-id=\"2343\">President Trump back<\/a> in office and Kash Patel now leading the ATF, there\u2019s a real opportunity to shut down these abuses. GOA is calling for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>An immediate investigation into the ATF\u2019s surveillance of law-abiding citizens<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rolling back ATF overreach and eliminating unconstitutional tracking programs<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Holding anti-gun bureaucrats accountable for years of abuse<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The fight isn\u2019t over, but one thing is clear\u2014the ATF\u2019s war on gun owners is finally being exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\" style=\"font-size:24px\"><strong><em>*** <a href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"clickTracking\" campaign=\"atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\" title=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":158,"featured_media":213919,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4024],"tags":[132,2591,607,122],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-213918","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-buzz","9":"tag-goa","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-r2kba"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.3 (Yoast SEO v27.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"GOA reveals the ATF has been spying on gun owners online for over a decade, tracking legal sales and forums instead of targeting criminals.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Larry Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/GunsAmerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@gunsamerica\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Larry Z\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Larry Z\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6de4369965cb544a9ebd9533bb9c06b\"},\"headline\":\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":433,\"commentCount\":11,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Buzz\",\"GOA\",\"News\",\"R2KBA\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/\",\"name\":\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"GOA reveals the ATF has been spying on gun owners online for over a decade, tracking legal sales and forums instead of targeting criminals.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg\",\"width\":900,\"height\":600,\"caption\":\"Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"name\":\"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\\\/Digest\",\"description\":\"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America&#039;s premier destination for buying and selling firearms.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"GunsAmerica\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/01\\\/image-3.png\",\"width\":286,\"height\":156,\"caption\":\"GunsAmerica\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/e6de4369965cb544a9ebd9533bb9c06b\",\"name\":\"Larry Z\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Larry Z\"},\"description\":\"is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who'd rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he\u2019s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he's deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there's a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry\u2019s got an opinion\u2014and it's probably backed up with both facts and field experience. Experience: \u2013 Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper \u2013 Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.\u2013 Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS &amp; AZ) \u2013 Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.\u2013 2A Journalist \u2013 Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.\u2013 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) \u2013 Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.\u2013 Field-Tested Gear Reviewer \u2013 Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/hunt365.gunsamerica.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/gunsamerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/gunsamerica_official\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/GunsAmerica\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/user\\\/GunsAmerica\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/gunsamerica.com\\\/digest\\\/author\\\/larry-z\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners","description":"GOA reveals the ATF has been spying on gun owners online for over a decade, tracking legal sales and forums instead of targeting criminals.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners","og_description":"Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners.","og_url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/","og_site_name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","article_published_time":"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":900,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Larry Z","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/GunsAmerica","twitter_site":"@gunsamerica","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Larry Z","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/"},"author":{"name":"Larry Z","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/e6de4369965cb544a9ebd9533bb9c06b"},"headline":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners","datePublished":"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/"},"wordCount":433,"commentCount":11,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg","keywords":["Buzz","GOA","News","R2KBA"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/","name":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-11T16:41:26+00:00","dateModified":"2026-01-02T12:04:41+00:00","description":"GOA reveals the ATF has been spying on gun owners online for over a decade, tracking legal sales and forums instead of targeting criminals.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida.jpg","width":900,"height":600,"caption":"Instead of focusing on actual criminals, the ATF has been monitoring and harassing law-abiding gun owners."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/atfs-decade-long-surveillance-of-gun-owners\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"ATF\u2019s Decade-Long Surveillance of Gun Owners"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#website","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","name":"Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest","description":"Gun Reviews, Industry News, and Product Reviews for Rifles, Pistols, Revolvers, Shotguns, Optics, and Ammunition. Looking to purchase a firearm online? Look no further than GunsAmerica.com, America&#039;s premier destination for buying and selling firearms.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#organization","name":"GunsAmerica","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/image-3.png","width":286,"height":156,"caption":"GunsAmerica"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/x.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/instagram.com\/gunsamerica_official\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GunsAmerica"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/#\/schema\/person\/e6de4369965cb544a9ebd9533bb9c06b","name":"Larry Z","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/5a69271fff458c0181bcf97d84275180a0fb536786a6dd417d0618e9688be035?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Larry Z"},"description":"is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who'd rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he\u2019s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he's deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there's a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry\u2019s got an opinion\u2014and it's probably backed up with both facts and field experience. Experience: \u2013 Licensed Bowhunter, Hunter, and Trapper \u2013 Experienced in ethical hunting and wildlife conservation.\u2013 Concealed Carry Permit Holder (NYS &amp; AZ) \u2013 Trained and licensed to carry in multiple states.\u2013 2A Journalist \u2013 Covering firearms legislation, Second Amendment issues, and gun rights for over a decade.\u2013 Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) \u2013 Certified to provide emergency medical care in the field.\u2013 Field-Tested Gear Reviewer \u2013 Hands-on experience with firearms, optics, and hunting tech.","sameAs":["https:\/\/hunt365.gunsamerica.com","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gunsamerica","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/gunsamerica_official\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/GunsAmerica","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/user\/GunsAmerica"],"url":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/author\/larry-z\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GOA_FOIA_ATF_Social_Meida-150x100.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=213918"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":227624,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/213918\/revisions\/227624"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/213919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=213918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=213918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=213918"},{"taxonomy":"featured","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/featured?post=213918"},{"taxonomy":"hunt365","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hunt365?post=213918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}