The New York Times (NYT) is pressuring credit card giants to monitor customers’ buying habits and blacklist gun purchases.
In an investigation posted Monday, the newspaper suggested that banks are “unwittingly financing mass shootings” by allowing individuals to use their cards to buy firearms and related accessories.
The Times noted various examples of mass shooters such as Omar Mateen and James Holmes, pointing out that some killers “built their stockpiles of high-powered weapons with the convenience of credit.” The Times also suggested that credit card companies have in place — or could put in place — systems to detect firearm purchases and either refuse them altogether or flag them to see how much is being spent on guns.