New NY gun law applicants have to provide social media accounts

New gun laws taking effect in NY

The mayor's office released a map of what is being considered the so-called Times Square Gun Free Zone.

NEW YORK - A new gun law that goes into effect in New York on Thursday will require applicants for a concealed carry permit to provide a list of social media accounts for the past three years as part of the review process.

State regulators will be able to browse the applicant's social media posts to decide if a person has the "character" to carry a weapon.

The requirement was added because lawmakers said that previous mass shooters have sometimes dropped hints of violence online before they acted.

The New York Sheriffs' Association has called the rules "burdensome" on local government officials to carry out that part of the law.

Times Square 'Gun Free Zone'

New York passed legislation to strengthen gun laws while also creating sensitive areas where guns can be banned. These areas include subways, schools, private businesses, and Times Square.

Under the law, applicants will also have to complete 16 hours of classroom training and two hours of live-fire exercises.

The law also creates dozens of "sensitive" places that would ban guns. They include schools, churches, subways, theaters, amusement parks, and even Times Square in Manhattan.

The new law was quickly passed by state lawmakers after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the previous gun laws in New York were unconstitutional.