A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court alleges that the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) secretly compiled a database containing personal information from millions of gun owners, using this data to target political ads since the year 2000. The plaintiffs, two gun owners from Oklahoma and Illinois, claim the NSSF obtained their information from gun manufacturers without consent, asserting that this act constitutes “unjust enrichment” as the organization profited politically by leveraging this data.
The complaint highlights that the NSSF’s database grew rapidly over the years, incorporating over 5.5 million records by 2002 and fueling targeted political advertising efforts throughout major election cycles, including the contentious 2016 presidential election. With potential class-action damages exceeding $5 million, the lawsuit raises significant questions about privacy rights and the ethical use of personal data within the firearms industry, norms that may be scrutinized as the case unfolds.
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