Marketplace facilitators reporting to DHS?

[sassnetguy50]

Did some digging after reading an article about a man being prosecuted for trafficking in NY.

 

Excerpt from https://www.ammoland.com/2026/08/new-york-gun-owner-surveillance-legal-purchases/

 

Vaughn explained how DHS monitors purchases by private citizens. “We just basically track internet purchases from eBay, PayPal, Amazon, different various online companies. We get a list every other month, backdated a month, with people purchasing components that could possibly create a ghost gun, like the rails, the 3D printer.”

 

From 2024

https://www.mrcolionnoir.com/dhs-partnering-with-online-retailers-to-monitor-3d-printer-sales/

 

Amazon reports about subpoenas

https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=TcJQtR5D0vMbya1ktC

 

I haven't found a legal basis for this.  Is there a law or regulation requiring marketplace facilitators to report certain purchases?

[Sedalia Dave]

No requirement to comply unless DHS has a warrant. 

[John Kloehr]

1 hour ago, Sedalia Dave said:

No requirement to comply unless DHS has a warrant. 

 

True. Flip side is a warrant might have a gag order component preventing the company from informing its customers. Some companies have implemented "canary" statements in various industries. 3D printers would be a good candidate for them.

 

A "canary" is an occasional statement stating the company has not been served with such an order. When the company no longer issues (or changes the wording of ) an occasional canary... Then something changed.

 

Example of a "canary": https://cortexos.app/warrant-canary/

 

Australia and several other countries outlaw issuing canaries. The concept is that any change in the text of a canary indicates that particular wording no longer applies. A gag order may prohibit disclosure or related speech but can not compel a speaker to issue a falsehood. Apple started issuing canaries in 2013, at some point it stopped issuing them.

 

A canary does not protect any information from getting turned over, a change or failure to issue one in the future can provide a signal some information has been disclosed.